NHL Wednesday player props: 3 shooters to target
Tuesday night was another great one for our shot props, as Mitch Marner, Kevin Hayes, and Kevin Fiala all came through for us on home soil.
We'll look to replicate that success Wednesday. Let's dive right into it.
Nikita Kucherov over 3.5 shots (+110)
Death, taxes, and backing Nikita Kucherov against the Detroit Red Wings. To say that he's had their number over the years would be an understatement.
The superstar winger recorded four shots or more in six straight head-to-head meetings and nine of the last 10 overall.
There's every reason to expect his success - at least in the shot department - to continue in this one. The Red Wings are getting caved in on a nightly basis and rank 29th in five-on-five shot share over the last 10 games. Kucherov should be a prime beneficiary of that.
It's also worth noting that Brian Elliott is starting for the Lightning. He's obviously nowhere near the same caliber as Andrei Vasilevskiy and is thus more likely to concede goals. Assuming that transpires, Tampa Bay will need to push for offense and provide him with more run support than necessary on most other nights. That could help Kucherov as well.
Gustav Forsling over 2.5 shots (-120)
Forsling is quickly developing into one of my favorite under-the-radar targets for shots. He averaged 24.5 minutes per game over the last 10, more than two minutes above his season average. He's taken full advantage of that extra opportunity, generating nearly 20 more shot attempts than his closest teammate.
He registered at least three shots on goal seven times during that stretch, falling one puck short in each of the other three games. He's a legitimate threat to go over this number every single night.
I love the volume we're getting with him. While the New Jersey Devils aren't a great team to target for shots, Forsling did find success against them just a few days ago. Given how much Paul Maurice is putting on his plate, I'm happy to take my chances he can do it again.
Matt Boldy over 2.5 shots (-115)
Some players - like Kirill Kaprizov - are much better at generating shots on home soil than on the road. Boldy is the complete opposite.
The Wild forward averaged only 3.9 shot attempts per game in Minnesota this season. That number skyrockets to 5.4 - and 6.6 over the last 10 - on the road.
Unsurprisingly, that attempt volume is leading to plenty of success. Boldy generated at least three shots on target in seven of the last nine road games.
I expect more of the same Wednesday night against the Anaheim Ducks. They've legitimately been the worst shot-suppression team in the league all season and are playing in the latter half of a back-to-back. There's no reason to expect the screws to be tightened here.
I see a lot of value backing Boldy in what is probably the best possible matchup he could ask for.
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.