Point, Hedman to make noise vs. Panthers
Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.
We started the playoffs slower than I would've liked but broke out in a big way Wednesday night, going a perfect 4-0 with player props.
Let's examine a few that stand out for Thursday's two-game slate as we look to keep moving in the right direction.
Brayden Point: Over 2.5 shots
Point let us down in Game 2, but we're going right back to the well. It's hard to argue with his track record, whether it's his recent performance or his remarkably strong history against the Panthers.
Point has hit in nine of his past 12 head-to-head meetings with Florida, averaging 3.2 shots per game in that span.
He's also hit in eight of his last 10 games overall dating back to the regular season. As frequent readers in this space know, he does his best work on home ice.
Point has recorded three-plus shots in 22 of his last 30 games in Tampa Bay for an absurd 73% hit rate.
The Lightning are essentially playing for their season. Point should get all the ice he can handle and pick up a few shots along the way.
Odds: -140 (playable to -160)
Victor Hedman: Over 0.5 assists
Hedman was an assist machine during the regular season. He piled up 63 over 78 games, which was the second-highest total of his illustrious career.
Like Point with his shot generation, Hedman was most efficient at home. He recorded at least one assist in 24 of 39 games played in Tampa Bay, which is a healthy 62% clip.
Hedman plays a ton of minutes at even strength and also quarterbacks a lethal power play that features stars like Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, and Point.
Hedman routinely plays 25-plus minutes, and that'll no doubt be the case again with the Lightning in a must-win game.
Given all the elite talent he'll share the ice with, there'll be plenty of assist opportunities for Hedman.
Odds: -115 (playable to -130)
Bo Horvat: Over 2.5 shots
Not a lot went right for the Islanders over the first two games versus the Hurricanes. They dropped both and spent a lot of time on their heels in the defensive zone. Carolina outshot New York 184-85 overall, by far the biggest discrepancy we've seen from any series.
Despite that, Horvat still managed to get his fair share of shots on Frederik Andersen.
Horvat generated eight shots on goal over the first two games of the series and hit the over in each.
His success should continue back on home ice, where Horvat was so good this season. He averaged 3.3 shots per game and posted a 62% success rate at home.
Similarly to the Lightning, the Islanders are in a 0-2 hole and in desperate need of a win. They'll rely heavily on Horvat to help get it.
Odds: -134 (playable to -150)
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.