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NHL Wednesday player props: 3 forwards to target

Rob Marczynski / National Hockey League / Getty

Tuesday night was a solid one for our shot props. Thomas Chabot and Claude Giroux both made the most of an advantageous matchup against the Canadiens. Unfortunately, Alex Ovechkin put forth a bit of a dud versus the bottom-feeding Blue Jackets to prevent us from a perfect night of props.

Let's take a closer look at three players worth backing on the last night of hockey before the All-Star break.

Jeff Skinner over 2.5 shots (+115)

The Hurricanes are generally a team I avoid targeting for shots on goal. Today, I'm going to make an exception with Skinner.

The shoot-first winger has been consistent for the Sabres all season long, averaging 3.2 shots per game while hitting at a 63% success rate.

Like many offensive players, Skinner's shot volume is much higher at home. Skinner averages 5.5 attempts (6.3 over the last 10) in Buffalo as opposed to 5.0 (3.9 over the last 10) on the road. That's a fairly significant gap.

Beyond home ice, Skinner should also benefit from the Hurricanes playing their third game in four nights and potentially being without top defenseman Jaccob Slavin. Not to mention, Skinner always has a little extra for his former team.

He has registered at least three shots on goal - and found the scoresheet - in seven of eight meetings versus Carolina since becoming a member of the Sabres. Look for his success to continue in this one.

Martin Necas over 2.5 shots (-120)

Necas is the definition of a road warrior. He has attempted more than six shots per game over his last 10 road dates and leads the Hurricanes in shots on goal and scoring chances in that time. Necas went over his shot total in seven of those games, a level of success that's nothing new for him.

The 24-year-old breakout star has registered at least three shots in 73% of his road games this season, compared to just 54% on home soil.

While the Sabres have been much better defensively of late, they play a pretty high-event style of hockey that should allow for someone as fast and skilled as Necas to stumble his way into a few looks at the net.

That was certainly the case when the two sides met back in November, as Necas registered four shots on eight attempts.

Taylor Hall over 2.5 shots (+115)

Hall is heating up. The speedy winger has registered at least three shots in five of the last six games. That's no coincidence, as he was recently promoted back into the top six and is playing a couple of extra shifts per game - with better players at that.

With David Pastrnak skating alongside Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand on a stacked top unit, more of a shooting role has been placed on Hall's shoulders.

He's taking advantage of it and has done so all season long when necessary. Hall has averaged better than 17 shot attempts per 60 minutes when playing with Pavel Zacha on the other wing. That's more than he averages with any other linemate he has spent meaningful time with. As it stands, Hall is expected to play with Zacha on his opposite wing and pass-first pivot David Krejci. That's a good spot.

As an added bonus, Hall has a very strong track record against the Maple Leafs. He has recorded three shots or more in eight of his last 10 meetings against them, which have come quite frequently since becoming a member of the Eastern Conference a few seasons ago.

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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