NHL Hart Trophy Betting Trends: McDavid’s Massive Handle

As the NHL season progresses, the race for the prestigious Hart Trophy heats up. The latest futures offer insights for bettors looking for both the favorites and potential value plays.

At the top, it’s no surprise that the Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid remains the consensus favorite to claim the trophy. Opening at +125 and remaining steady at +125, McDavid captures a significant 21.8% of the tickets and a staggering 58.4% of the handle. This high concentration in handle signifies that the larger bets are firmly behind McDavid.

Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils, despite having long odds at +1600, is attracting attention with the second-highest ticket count with 15.2% but just 7.0% of the handle. This implies that while not as heavily backed as McDavid, there’s a considerable belief in Hughes’ potential to claim the trophy, but mainly from the public.

The Colorado Avalanche‘s Nathan MacKinnon, priced at +850, and Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs at +1200, are almost neck and neck in terms of betting support. They respectively claim 14.4% and 13.6% of tickets, with their handle percentages closely matched at 6.7% and 7.2%.

In terms of value plays, Cale Makar, another Avalanche star, might catch the eye of savvy bettors. His +2200 odds contrast with his 5.8% ticket count and 3.0% handle, suggesting a pocket of believers is expecting another stellar season.

Other notable names include McDavid’s partner in crime, Leon Draisaitl, at +1000 (with 3.9% of tickets and 2.9% handle), the Minnesota Wild sensation Kirill Kaprizov at +1600, and Matthew Tkachuk of the Florida Panthers at +1000.

Tage Thompson of the Buffalo Sabres stands at +2500 odds for those looking for real dark horses but manages to pull 0.8% of the tickets and 0.5% of the handle. Meanwhile, David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins, despite being priced at +1200, has a surprisingly low ticket percentage at 0.4% and virtually no handle to speak of.

While McDavid remains the dominant favorite, the race for the Hart Trophy offers plenty of value bets for those willing to look beyond the obvious choices. With a long season ahead, anything can happen, so choose wisely, and best of luck with your wagers.

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