NHL Draft Matchup Odds Heavily Favor Hughes Ahead of Kakko, Caulfield Ahead of Boldy

• The NHL Draft is Friday night (Jun. 21st) at Rogers Arena in Vancouver
• Jack Hughes is heavily to be the 1st-overall pick to the New Jersey Devils
• Kappo Kakko is the likely 2nd overall pick and the draft should open up after that selection
  

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The NHL Draft is Friday night in Vancouver and the Stanley Cup odds are likely to change depending on who ends up where.  There’s also money to be made with the props.  They’ve listed a series of head to head props, which ask bettors to pick which player will be drafted first between the two.

Here’s a run down of the available bets.

2019 NHL Draft Matchup Props: Hughes vs Kakko

*odds taken 6/20

There are two realities here.  First, it’s a lock that Jack Hughes will be taken 1st overall by the New Jersey Devils. Second, your return on investment won’t be very high.  That said it’s as close to a sure thing as you’re ever going to see, so bite the bullet and treat this more like an investment than a wager.

PICK: Jack Hughes (-1200)

https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1141755752903659520

2019 NHL Draft Matchup Props: Caufield vs Boldy

*odds taken 6/20

Years ago the debate would have been could Cole Caufield be drafted at all, not could he go in the top-5 picks of the draft.  He had 72 goals and 100 points with the US National Development Program last year but stands only 5’7 and weighs 162 pounds.

Size aside, Caufield will be a stud at the NHL level and he’s the pick in this head to head matchup to go off the board first.

PICK: Cole Caufield (-370)

2019 NHL Draft Matchup Props: Dach vs Cozens

*odds taken 6/20

The Colorado Avalanche own the 4th pick in the draft and I believe in their war room this is the debate, which of these two players fit best.  Kirby Dach has size and a strong hockey mind, while Cozens has speed to burn and put up 84 points for Lethbridge last year.  I’m going with the upset here, even if it isn’t Colorado who makes the pick I think Cozens will go before Dach in a mild upset.

PICK: Dylan Cozens (+175)

#NHLDraft Top Prospects in Vancouver with Stanley Park in the background. Left to right:

Kappo Kakko 🇫🇮
Spencer Knight 🇺🇸
Cole Caufield 🇺🇸
Trevor Zegras 🇺🇸
Jack Hughes 🇺🇸
Alex Turcotte 🇺🇸
Kirby Dach 🇨🇦
Bowen Byram 🇨🇦
Dylan Cozens 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/IHWJ8k6kyG

— Joey Kenward (@kenwardskorner) June 20, 2019

2019 NHL Draft Matchup Props: Lavoie vs Suzuki

*odds taken 6/20

I agree with the odds makers that forwards will dominate the first round of the draft so I’m taking Center Ryan Suzuki here.  He was the 2017 1st overall pick in the OHL draft and while Lavoie does have offensive upside on the back end, I think Suzuki has too much upside to be left on the draft board.

Suzuki could go in the middle of the first round while I expect Lavoie to wait until later into the 20s.

PICK: Ryan Suzuki (-120)

2019 NHL Draft Matchup Props: York vs Harley

*odds taken 6/20

This might be my favorite bet on the board if only for the value you get siding with my pick Thomas Harley.  He had 58 points for Mississauga in the OHL last season and is the exact type of defenseman teams need.  I think he goes first and I don’t think this one will be particularly close, with York fighting to get selected late in the first round and Harley going in the mid-teens or maybe even earlier.

PICK: Thomas Harley (+175)