We’re a quarter into the NHL’s 56-game season — a season that’ll be unlike any ever in the league’s storied history. With a decent sample size of games now, it’s become clear which players are front-runners for various individual awards, which are all bettable props. With that in mind, here’s some free wagering advice for you!
Individual trophy award winners are among the best NHL player prop bets to make and now is a good time to make them! That's because we're starting to see hockey players break away from the pack, but it's still early enough in the season where you're getting plus-money odds throughout.
Take the Hart Memorial MVP trophy, for example. Connor McDavid has jumped ahead in the betting odds given out by online sportsbooks, but at a +200 line, you're still getting fair value. Here's where the current MVP odds stand at:
| Player |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Connor McDavid | +200 | +200 |
| Nathan MacKinnon | +400 | +400 |
| Artemi Panarin | +900 | +900 |
| Auston Matthews | +900 | +900 |
| Leon Draisaitl | +1100 | +1100 |
| Jack Eichel | +1100 | +1100 |
| Brayden Point | +1200 | +1200 |
We'll give out our free betting pick for the NHL MVP plus other player trophies shortly, but first, we have another way you can make money on hockey gambling — promotional bonuses! You see, almost every bookmaker has several promos to take advantage of.
Take BetOnline, it currently has a $1000 bonus for first-time players of the betting site. Just sign up, load money into your account, and players earn back a bonus in the form of free play. So think of it this way, thanks to a sign-up bonus, you make money whether your NHL bet pans out or not — guaranteed!
Of course, we do want you to collect promo offer money AND actual bets. Since we covered the former, let's now go into the latter. Here are three NHL player props and picks to score you even more winnings!
This award is McDavid's to lose, plain and simple. The Edmonton captain has been absolutely unstoppable since the 2021 season began. Here's McDavid's current stat line after 16 games — nine goals and 19 assists for a whopping 28 points.
If he keeps at this historic pace, McDavid will tally 87 points in 56 games. That's astounding, especially when you compare it to his MVP run during 2016-16 when he racked up 100 points in a full 82-game season.
At this point, McDavid's stiffest competition for MVP might be his own teammate, Draisaitl, who just so happens to be the reigning Hart Trophy carrier. He's right behind McDavid in the point category at 26, while the next-best player is Mitch Marner at 21.
Perhaps the only thing threatening McDavid or Draisaitl's MVP hopes is the Oilers themselves. Playing in the all-Canada North division, the team is only 9-7. At 18 points, they currently sit third in the standings. And remember, the NHL said the top four teams per division will automatically gain a playoff spot under these COVID-affected rules.
It's imperative Edmonton remains in contention if either McDavid or Draisaitl want to raise their second-career Hart trophy. We think they do and that's why we suggest putting money down on both players here. Think of this approach as an "insurance" and at plus-money odds both ways, you'll make out like a bandit no matter which player shines more the rest of the way out.
Betting pick to make: Connor McDavid (+200) and Leon Draisaitl (+1100)
It hasn't exactly been a banner year for the goalie position thus far. The league-wide save percentage is hovering at .905 (the lowest since 2006) — which is largely being attributed to a shortened training camp and no preseason to speak of.
Bucking that trend, however, has been Andrei Vasilevsky of Tampa Bay. Vasilevsky checks all the boxes in what a voter (NHL general managers in this case) are looking for in the league's top goalie. Wins? He is presently second-best at eight. Save percentage? How about .929? And playing for the defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning probably helps Vasilevsky's case, too.
Betting pick to make: Andrei Vasilevsky
Historically, the Calder trophy usually goes to rookie forwards who lead their class in goals, assists, or potentially both. Based on that, Kirill Kaprizov of Minnesota has put himself in the driver's seat for the 2021 award.
The 23-year-old Russian has absolutely dazzled on the ice in 11 games so far into his career. Kaprizov is up to three goals and six assists for the Wild.
Though not a forward, Devils' defenseman Ty Smith has flashed throughout his rookie season, as well. He's right on Kaprizov's tail in terms of points at eight (two goals and six assists).
Smith is a good darkhorse candidate to bet with, however, our money is still on Kaprizov. Not unlike fans or bettors, award voters are also wowed by head-turning highlight reels, which Kaprizov has consistently provided in 2021.
Betting pick to make: Kirill Kaprizov
That's all the betting advice we have for you today. In case you're looking for more NHL betting odds — say on Stanley Cup futures or day-to-day games — then you can find them all at one of our partners below.
Furthermore, each of the below-betting sites also features promotions like the ones we mentioned at the beginning of the article. The underneath table details those currently-live bonuses and also in-depth reviews of each bookmaker. Click around to find out which sportsbook is best for you!
Category : News
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