Betting Breakdown: Player props and popular teams to watch Saturday night in the NHL

It was a true “where were you” moment Friday night when Alex Ovechkin made a charge to score a hat trick to pass Wayne Gretzky for the most goals all time in NHL history.

Readers of this website shouldn’t have been surprised. TSN’s senior betting analyst, Domenic Padula, had the story covered all day, tipping Ovechkin to score three goals at 20-1 odds for Friday’s game, citing the 39-year-old’s flare for the dramatic. 

After Ovechkin scored in the first period you could feel a buzz through the television every time he touched the ice. Sure enough he would tie the record six minutes into the third period on what ended up being the game winning goal. 

With the hockey world watching, Ovechkin pushed to break the record as the game wound down, firing four shot attempts in the final 80 seconds with Washington up by two goals. 

He was stopped twice on prime chances - though official scorekeeping indicates his attempts were missed and play was then stopped one second later due to a goalie stoppage after a shot on goal. And Ovie finished the night with two goals on three shots.

As someone who bet on Ovechkin to break the record against Chicago a few months ago at +1100, I was crushed. And as someone who bet Ovechkin to log 5 shots, I was confused as to how a shot can miss the net while also be saved but not count as a shot or save at the same time. 

Turns out 94 per cent of bets on Ovechkin’s shot prop Friday evening on FanDuel were placed on his over, so pour one out for those people too. 

Nonetheless, Friday night was incredible and now Ovechkin has a chance to break the record on Sunday against the New York Islanders while he tries to score on Ilya Sorokin for the first time in his career. 

FanDuel has priced Ovie at -115 to break the record against the Islanders, something I’m hoping he doesn’t do as I also played him to break the record against the Carolina Hurricanes at +750 a few months ago and they are next on the schedule after the Islanders. 

Here is a look at the market on FanDuel for who Ovechkin will score his 895th goal against. 

While Ovechkin and the Capitals rest on Saturday we will turn our attention to another loaded night on the ice. 

Let’s get to some prop bets and examine the most popular teams on the moneyline. 

Player props to watch 

So far, I’ve highlighted 67 props in this section, posting a 42-27-1 record, including a 3-0 week last Saturday. 

Let’s do it again this week. 

Mitch Marner has an assist in five straight games against bottom-10 defences for assists allowed. Columbus ranks 28th, conceding 5.9 assists per game.

Alex Newhook has a point in five of his last six against bottom-10 defences for assists allowed. Philadelphia sits 27th, allowing 5.8 assists per game.

Taylor Hall has a point in six straight games agasint bottom-10 defences for goals allowed. Boston ranks 24th in the NHL this season, allowing 3.3 goals per game. 

Jordan Eberle has at least one point in 10 of his last 13 games against bottom-10 defences for assists allowed. 

Most Public Sides

Public vs. Coin

And just like that, Johnny Public has won.

With just one Saturday left in the season the public enters today on the heels of a 3-0 week, imporving to 31-27 on the season.

Meanwhile, the coin had a chance last week to make this a tight finish, but an 0-3 night dropped it's record to 22-36.

With just the three games today and three more next Saturday left the math is no longer mathing for the coin and we have a winner in Season 1 of The Public vs. The Coin.

For the sake of record keeping we will play out the season.

Here are this week's coin picks.

Coin Picks: Columbus Blue Jackets, Boston Bruins, Utah Hockey Club