We sports betting oddsmakers, and nothing has tainted that projection at the midseason point.
What’s a little different after 40 or so games is Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid is now only one of the favorites — instead of the favorite — to win the Hart Trophy for regular-season MVP, while Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck has moved ahead of peers to win the Vezina Trophy instead of being equal with them.
What’s the same is Chicago Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard remains the odds-on favorite across the gambling apps to receive the Calder Trophy awarded to the best first-year player.
A lot can happen to change things over the course of the remaining season — and in a way already did, with Bedard going on injured reserve from a fractured jaw he sustained Friday night. But competitive races involving many Connors are shaping up for the NHL’s season awards midway through the 2023-24 campaign.
A turnaround by McDavid, Oilers 1wz2d
This article would have had a different spin if written two months ago, when the Oilers and McDavid had started the season in a funk rather than waiting for any swoon to come later. McDavid, a three-time Hart Trophy winner, had just two goals in his first 11 games after scoring 64 a year ago. Edmonton started the season 3-9-1 and fired coach Jay Woodcroft on Nov. 12.
That was then, this is now — with the Oilers 17-6 since then while led by their longtime star, who has been held scoreless just once in his last 20 games. McDavid now has 14 goals and 40 assists for 54 points.
That’s plenty good, even if behind the pace of many of his seasons, but the scoring total trails several others, most notably Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche. MacKinnon, who was both the league’s most recent Player of the Month and Player of the Week, has 22 goals and 43 assists for 65 points.
Playing for a team with a much better overall record, MacKinnon is either even with McDavid or slightly ahead of him in MVP odds posted by the Caesars Sportsbook has MacKinnon +230 compared to +250 for McDavid.
BetMGM’s +325 price is the best return on McDavid currently for those using the most common national sport betting sites, while ESPN BET’s +300 is the best outlet for a MacKinnon wager.
Trailing a little behind those two on MVP odds boards is the league’s leading scorer, Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov, who can be had at +360 on ESPN BET. The fourth serious contender midway through the season is Boston’s David Pastrnak, whom Caesars was offering Monday at +900.
Before the season, FanDuel liked McDavid’s Hart Trophy chances so much that it made him an even-money wager against the “field.” While he could still win, those who bet at -124 on the possibility of any other of more than 700 candidates winning should like their chances.
Sizing up Vezina, Calder, Norris races 4i4k3w
Before the season, Jets netminder Hellebuyck was priced at +500 at FanDuel to win the Vezina Trophy, which was the same odds it offered for Ilya Sorokin, Igor Shesterkin, and Juuse Saros. Now the odds have shortened on Hellebuyck, while sportsbooks have shifted the contenders behind him.
Leaning on Hellebuyck, Winnipeg is atop the Central Division and leading the league in points. His own win/loss/overtime record is 20/6/3, with a .921 save percentage and 2.27 goals against average.
FanDuel now has Hellebuyck +300 for the goalkeeping award, followed by Vancouver’s Thatcher Demko at +350, Los Angeles’ Cam Talbot at +650, and Boston’s Jeremy Swayman at +700. That +300 is the best return for a Hellebuyck bet among the major sites, while BetRivers has Demko at +400.
For young phenom Bedard’s chances at claiming the Calder Trophy, FanDuel also offered a bet on him against the field before the first puck was dropped in October. It was -125 for him to win, +100 for anyone/everyone else. With 15 goals and 18 assists for a cellar-dwelling team in the Blackhawks, Bedard has become an even stronger favorite despite his new injury — FanDuel has him -240 and the field +186.
If Bedard’s injury should sideline him for a large chunk of games, New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes stands to be the most likely beneficiary. DraftKings has him priced at +400 and BetRivers makes him +500 to win the Calder.
And while there’s no Connor making a strong bid for the Norris Trophy, there’s a close race for it thus far among defensemen Quinn Hughes of Vancouver and Cale Makar of Colorado. Both of their teams are doing well, and Hughes has just a slight edge over Makar in points, 50 to 48.
The closeness of the Norris race is exhibited by Hughes having shorter odds at FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and Caesars, and Makar being the slight favorite at BetRivers and ESPN BET.
For a bettor who likes Hughes, the best return is +150 at BetRivers, and for Makar, the best site is FanDuel with its +160.
