NHL Predictions: Bet on Ovechkin to Break Gretzky Record Today April 06

Not all the focus has been on the March Madness action this weekend. Alexander Ovechkin made more NHL history on Friday night when he scored twice in a win over the defensively-challenged Chicago Blackhawks to tie Wayne Gretzky’s NHL regular-season career record of 894 goals.

Ovechkin had a chance to break the mark on Friday, but he passed up the chance to have the record-breaking goal come into an empty net. That is good news for those who bet hockey online.

“I don’t want an empty net,” Ovechkin told reporters after the 5-3 win.

I’m going to own up to the fact that I questioned whether there were enough games for Ovechkin to get to 895 goals this season a couple of weeks ago. Since the start of March, he has 11 goals in 17 games, per NHL betting trends. In his last four games, he has scored on five of his 12 shots on goal.

The BetUS sportsbook has Ovechkin with odds of -134 to be an anytime goal scorer against the Islanders. His next closest teammate is Tom Wilson at +210. It didn’t hurt that the Capitals were trying to set him up for the milestone late in Friday’s game.

Washington has six games left in the regular season, beginning with Sunday’s 12:30 p.m. ET road game against the New York Islanders that will air on NHL.com.

OVECHKIN AGAIN! GOAL 894!!! 😱

HE’S TIED THE ALL-TIME GOALS RECORD! #Gr8Chase

🇺🇸: @NHLNetwork
🇨🇦: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ https://t.co/4KjbdjVctF pic.twitter.com/JZ3OZKTfGn

— NHL (@NHL) April 5, 2025

While Ovechkin won’t be trying not to score a goal, he would certainly love for the record-breaking moment to come at home against the rival Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night. There are -120 odds for the record-breaking goal to come at home and the same odds for it to happen on the road.

Let’s check out the NHL betting odds for Ovechkin to pass Gretzky on Sunday.

Ovechkin’s 895th goal to come against the Islanders (-134)

Sunday’s matinee will be Ovechkin’s first game against the Islanders this season.

In four games against New York during the 2023-24 season, Ovechkin had two goals and one assist and 14 shots on goal, per Capitals vs Islanders stats.

Wayne Gretzky is in the building to watch Alex Ovechkin’s Gr8 Chase❗️

📺 ESPN+/Hulu/Disney+ pic.twitter.com/wxVd6EhQpP

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 4, 2025

The last two games between the Capitals and the Islanders have gone over the sports betting odds total. Washington has had at least four goals in three of its last four road matchups with the Islanders.

Eight of the last 10 games for the Islanders landed over the total. During a recent six-game losing streak, the Islanders were outscored 28-16. Also, New York goaltender Ilya Sorokin has allowed at least three goals in five of his last six games.

The NHL odds were at -500 for Ovechkin to get the record-setting goal this season before his two-goal game against Chicago.

Will he break Gretzky’s record on Sunday afternoon? Our NHL predictions say yes.

Bet on Ovechkin’s 895th goal to come against the Islanders (-134)

Ovechkin’s 895th goal to come on power play (+140)

With Ovechkin wanting no part of scoring into an empty net against the Blackhawks, bet the +300 odds for goal No. 895 to come after the opposing team pulled its goalie at your own peril.

Personally, I’d love to see one of Ovechkin’s blistering one-timers from the left faceoff circle be the historic goal. He has -2000 odds for the goal to come in the attacking zone, so there’s little value in making that bet.

It might be tempting to go with Ovechkin moving ahead of the Great One on a short-handed goal. However, the Great 8 rarely plays when Washington is killing a penalty. The plus-odds for the 895th goal to come on a power play could be a smart bet.

Keep in mind that heading into Saturday’s action, only the Vegas Golden Knights have fewer penalty minutes than the Islanders this season. Considering that the Islanders rank near the bottom of the NHL by allowing opponents to score on 29% of their power plays when New York is playing at home, I recommend going with the goal to come with the man advantage with NHL picks.

There isn’t as much value with -200 odds for the goal to come at even strength.

Bet on Ovechkin’s 895th goal to come on power play (+140)

Ovechkin’s 895th goal to come in third period (+110)

Ovechkin has scored eight goals in his last 10 games and half of those came in the third period. With a matinee starting time and the Capitals on the road, it would not be surprising for Ovechkin to start slowly. So take him at +110 to score in the final 20 minutes. If you want better value, take the +275 odds to score in the opening period.

Bet on Ovechkin’s 895th goal to come in third period (+11o)

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.