NHL midseason awards and futures bets

The NHL All-Star break just passed meaning we are fully in the race for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. All-Star Weekend tends to serve as a good betting indicator of where players and teams are at for the season. In about a month, March 8, is the trade deadline. We will see a few moves as teams buy and/or sell for the postseason. Here are favorite futures bets to lock in now, along with the best sportsbooks you should use to place them:

The No. 1 overall pick is sensational to watch. Unfortunately, the young star broke his jaw at the beginning of January. The rookie should return sometime in February. The good news in this story for bettors is Bedard’s odds have changed while he’s been recovering. Before his injury, the Blackhawks center was -400 or higher as the favorite to win the Calder Trophy (Rookie of the Year).

Now, Bedsy’s odds are at -155 on BetRivers. In his month off the ice, no other rookie has challenged for that top spot. Brock Faber (+200, BetRivers) is the next closest.

Bedard has 15 goals and 18 assists in 19:04 time on ice through 39 games played. Lock in Bedard to win the Calder at BetRivers. Other top Michigan/Penn sportsbooks have less favorable odds at -190.

New users who sign up with the code SPORTS get a $500 second chance bet at BetRivers Sportsbook.

Captain Aleksander Barkov and the Florida Panthers are a tough team to play against. They have a mix of skills and grit that makes them a team you don’t want to face come playoffs.

The Panthers sit at second in the East and are eyeing down the league-best Bruins. A big reason for their success is their captain, Barkov.

He plays a 200-foot game and does the dirty work defensively that doesn’t always show up on the stat sheet.

Barkov is the last non-Bergeron player to win the award and has a wide margin odds-wise compared to competitors. Anze Kopitar (+500, DraftKings) has the next best odds.

Getting plus-odds on the favorite, in Barkov, is worth the wager.

bet $5 to get $200 in bonus bets instantly. DraftKings also has great odds for futures bets, and a great selection of promotions to take advantage of

For our last pick we’re going to take a long shot bet with an unbelievable payout. Starting in the East, the Bruins have been the best team in the NHL all season and set the record for best regular season last year. Despite losing Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, the Bruins have continued to prosper. They are held strong by the incredible goaltending tandem of Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark.

Out West, the Colorado Avalanche have gotten incredible play from Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. Both could end up taking home hardware come summer. MacKinnon (-135, FanDuel) is the front-runner for the Hart Trophy given to the league MVP. Makar (+145, FanDuel) has the second-best odds to take on the Norris Trophy for the league’s best defensemen. The Avs took home the cup in 2022 and will look to do so again this year.

Head over to FanDuel, bet $5 and get $200 in bonus bets if your initial wager wins. FanDuel is one of the most popular sportsbooks in the country, and earned a 9.6 overall rating in our latest review.

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