NHL Wednesday player props: Barkov, Point in favorable matchups at home
We swept the board with our player props Tuesday night as the Hughes brothers and Jeff Skinner came through with big shooting performances.
We'll look to keep the ball rolling with three more plays for Wednesday's card.
Aleksander Barkov: Over 2.5 shots
The Stars are a strong defensive team, but their shot-suppression numbers are much worse away from home. They concede only 29 shots per game in Dallas compared to nearly 33.5 per game on the road. That ranks 27th in the NHL, just ahead of teams like the Canadiens, Senators, and Islanders.
Dallas is also vulnerable against opposing centers. It allows nearly 12 shots per game to the position, which also puts it in 27th place.
All of this should be music to Barkov's ears. He registered at least three shots in seven of his past 10 games and in four of the last five on home ice.
The Panthers center has been especially good in Florida, averaging 4.2 shots - and well over seven attempts - over his past five games.
He's a powerful player who goes to the dirty areas of the ice. Put another way, he often generates his shots close to the net so he doesn't need as many attempts to get the job done.
Odds: -135 (playable to -150)
Brayden Point: Over 2.5 shots
Point's volume at home compared to the road is night and day. He averages 3.2 shots per game at home and has gone over his total in 69% of his contests. He's produced just 2.3 shots per game on the road, and his 46% success rate is a 23% decrease from at home.
Those drastic splits are nothing new. Since the beginning of last season, Point's hit rate is 16% higher in Tampa Bay than on the road.
He's well-positioned to continue his success Wednesday night against the Penguins. They've quietly bled shots of late, allowing nearly 34 per game over the last 10. That ranks in the NHL's bottom five.
Point has a strong history against the Penguins as well, going over his total in five of the past seven head-to-head meetings.
Odds: -140 (playable to -160)
Sebastian Aho: Over 2.5 shots
Aho is a shooting machine right now. He's recorded three shots or more in five of the past six games, piling up a total of 27 on 42 attempts.
What I love to see is that Aho hasn't just benefited from soft matchups. He's put forth monster six-shot performances against the Flyers and Jets during this stretch. Both teams rank in the top six in shot suppression this season, which bodes well heading into a matchup against the Oilers, another team in the top six.
Edmonton doesn't have a lot of burners on the back end. I think that could greatly benefit a player like Aho, who can turn on the jets to create some separation and lanes to get his shots off.
He isn't a perimeter player, either. He'll work to get to the dirty areas of the ice and be ready to pounce on any loose change Stuart Skinner spits out.
Odds: -140 (playable to -150)
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ToddCordell.