NHL Thursday player props: Robertson to shine vs. Oilers
We split our player props on Wednesday night. Tage Thompson came through against the Capitals; however, Noah Dobson missed the net three times while falling one short to close out the night.
We'll look to get back in the win column with three more plays for Thursday night's huge slate of games.
Carter Verhaeghe over 3.5 shots (-105)
Verhaeghe is sizzling at home. He registered at least four shots on goal in 12 of his last 14 games in Florida, over which time he's averaged 6.36 shot attempts per game.
He let us down last time we backed him, but I love his chances of rebounding Thursday night against the Canadiens.
They are giving up a ton of shot volume right now, especially on the road. Only the Ducks have allowed more shot attempts, and shots on target, per game over their last 10 road dates.
Verhaeghe will benefit mightily from a mouthwatering matchup at five-on-five and on the power play. It just so happens he was recently moved up to the Panthers' top unit. That should afford him an extra shooting opportunity or two, which he probably didn't need.
The Panthers fire shots at will every night. With a juicy matchup and every point crucial, Florida won't take its foot off the gas in this one. Look for Verhaeghe to be very involved offensively.
Jason Robertson over 3.5 shots (+105)
Robertson has teed off on the Oilers this season. Through two meetings, he's produced a whopping 16 shots. No, not attempts; that alone would be fairly impressive. I'm talking shots on goal. He attempted 23 shots over those two games, hitting double digits each time out.
The Oilers are generally a pretty strong shot-suppression team. Their Achilles' heel is taking penalties, and that's where Robertson makes his hay. Only David Pastrnak, Alex Ovechkin, and Mika Zibanejad have recorded more shots on the power play this season, and all three of them have played at least 27 more minutes on the man advantage than Robertson.
He's as efficient as it gets. With the Oilers being one of the league's most penalized teams - on the season and over the last 10 games - Robertson should benefit from plenty of opportunities to go to work.
Jared McCann over 2.5 shots (-135)
Despite their poor record, the Sharks were a pretty good five-on-five team for much of the year. That has completely changed since their deadline sell-off.
In six games since, they've conceded more shots on goal per game than anyone but the Coyotes and Blackhawks. They've also given up a ton of high-quality chances and taken penalties at an increased rate.
All of that is music to the ears of Jared McCann, the Kraken's top weapon. He went over his shot total in six of the past seven games, only failing against a stout Stars team.
McCann not only hit, but smashed in matchups against weaker opponents like the Red Wings and Blue Jackets. I expect that will be the case once again versus the Sharks.
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.