NHL Odds: Is Ovechkin Good Bet to Break Gretzky Goal Record? Mar 05

However, Washington Capitals superstar Alexander Ovechkin is closing in on Gretzky’s mark – a record once thought to be unbreakable.

Ovechkin had five shots on goal in a 5-4 shootout win over the visiting Ottawa Senators on Monday, but he did not record a point in the game and is still 10 goals shy of Gretzky.

“We got those two points, which is really important for us to get us going back.”

Martin Fehervary following the Capitals’ shootout win over the Senators.#CapsSens pic.twitter.com/GLRvUlYj46

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) March 4, 2025

Washington now leads Carolina by 12 points in the Metropolitan Division race. It is -1800 to win the division and +550 to win the Eastern Conference in NHL futures odds. The Capitals are currently seven points ahead of both Toronto and Florida in the battle for the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Let’s check out the BetUS sportsbook odds for Ovechkin to pass Gretzky this season.

3 Ways to Bet NHL Goal-Scoring Record

1. Will Ovechkin Catch Gretzky This Season?

Ovechkin might have already broken Gretzky’s record had he not missed 16 games this season with a lower-body injury.

Since returning to action on Dec. 28, Ovechkin had 16 goals in 28 games, per NHL betting trends, as the anticipation of Ovechkin becoming the greatest goal scorer in NHL history began to heat up.

Linus Ullmark takes away a sure goal from Alex Ovechkin with a HUGE blocker save! 🙅‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/Pw5rnijYto

— NHL (@NHL) March 4, 2025

Ovechkin has gone more than two games without a goal just once since he was cleared to return for the Capitals.

Ovechkin has 884 goals in 1,471 career regular-season games. The NHL odds have Ovechkin priced at -160 to score his 895th goal by the end of the season and +120 odds to fall short of that mark. Washington has 21 games left in the regular season.

2. How Will Record-Breaker Be Scored?

Ovechkin has already broken one of Gretzky’s goal-scoring records. Gretzky had a record 56 empty-net goals during his Hall of Fame career.

Ovechkin is at 63 empty-net goals, including eight this season. He is tied for the NHL lead with seven empty-net goals this season. The NHL betting line has Ovechkin priced at +350 to score his 895th career goal into an empty net.

Ovechkin also holds the NHL record with 320 power-play goals, with eight of those coming this season. Dave Andreychuk’s record of 274 power-play goals was broken by Ovechkin during the 2021-22 season.

There are +150 odds in online betting for Ovechkin’s record-setting goal to come on the power play compared to -225 odds for the goal to come at even strength. Ovechkin has one short-handed goal in his last 17 seasons.

Ovechkin has been on the ice when the Capitals are killing off a penalty for a total of 54 seconds in 45 games. For those looking for a “what the heck” Alexander Ovechkin bet, take a look at the +10000 odds for the record-setting goal to come while Washington is short-handed.

3. Which Opponent will Give Up Record Goal?

Ovechkin has scored his most goals against the Winnipeg Jets franchise with 56. Formerly the Atlanta Thrashers, they are among four teams that Ovechkin has scored at least 51 goals against. The others are the Tampa Bay Lighting and a pair of Metropolitan Division rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes.

Another Metro rival, Columbus, has the best odds of giving up the record goal at +450. One reason is the Capitals play a back-to-back against the Blue Jackets on April 12 and 13 in games 79 and 80 of the season.

Two other opponents worth taking a shot with in your NHL picks are the New York Islanders (+600) and Hurricanes (+700). Washington plays each team twice in the final 15 days of the regular season. The Capitals end the season in Pittsburgh and the Penguins are +1200 to surrender the historic tally.

Ovechkin, Capitals Offer Value Odds to Win Stanley Cup Title

It is unlikely that Ovechkin will be the Rocket Richard Trophy winner as the top goal scorer in the NHL for a 10th time and first since the 2019-20 season.

There is another trophy that he is seeking. He helped Washington win the Stanley Cup title for the first time in franchise history during the 2017-18 season.

There were 22 teams with shorter Stanley Cup odds when the season began. The championship odds have moved from +6500 to +1000 since the start of the season.

Questions Of The Day

Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets