Ovechkin (+240) and MacKinnon (+250) Neck-and-Neck in Odds to Lead NHL in Shots on Goal

• Sportsbooks have released a prop bet for who will lead the NHL in shots on goal this season
• Alex Ovechkin is the favorite at +240 after finishing third last season
• Nathan MacKinnon led the league in shots last year and has the second-best odds (+250)

You can’t score if you don’t shoot the puck.

So it’s no surprise that, when you look at the favorites to lead the NHL in shots on goal in the 2019-20 season, it’s a who’s who of the games top goal scorers.

Odds to Lead NHL in Shots on Goal (2019-20)

*Odds taken 9/27.

It’s no coincidence the list is filled with players you’ll also find near the top of the 2020 Hart Trophy odds.  Alex Ovechkin, who led the league in shots in 2017-18, is a narrow favorite over last year’s leader, Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche.

Who should you bet on this season? Here are my two picks – one favorite and one player farther down the board.

Ovechkin Will Continue to Shoot Often in 2020

Alex Ovechkin is nothing if not consistent. If you cross out the lockout-shortened 2013 season, Ovechkin has racked up stats over 13 other campaigns. The fewest shots on goal he’s ever recorded is 313 back in 2017.

You don’t win eight Rocket Richard trophies as the league’s top goal scorer by holding onto the puck, and I wouldn’t expect Ovechkin to do any of that this season.

In the eyes of @NHLFantasy, there's no better left winger than Alex Ovechkin (@ovi8)!

Listen to NHL Fantasy on Ice ➡️ https://t.co/SJ04tEQ4GA pic.twitter.com/cVYUpwkwk3

— NHL (@NHL) September 20, 2019

Ovechkin finished third in shots on goal last season with 338, one season after topping the league with 355 shots. He plays the majority of the Capitals power play which allows him to sit on the left circle, snapping off one timers and inflating his total.

Nathan MacKinnon and the other contenders will surely get pucks on net as well, but I’m most confident with the superstar who has consistently shot and scored for a dozen years and is showing no signs of slowing down.

His +240 odds don’t offer a huge payday, but you are gambling on the one player who has proven to be incredibly durable and reliable.

Could Auston Matthews Become Elite Scorer This Season?

Auston Matthews has only played one full season in his career, missing 14 games last year and 20 the season before that. Going back to his rookie campaign, however, Matthews scored 40 goals and tallied 279 shots, which was good for eighth in the league.

While Ovechkin does the bulk of his damage on the power play, analytics show Matthews is a driving force 5-on-5, which allows him to create scoring chances whenever he is on the ice.

👀… This one’s for you, Toronto! #NHL20 @easportsnhl https://t.co/tQXGauq0mC pic.twitter.com/zUTZoIBZgw

— Auston Matthews (@AM34) June 20, 2019

Matthews could also see a boost on the power play as well with the Maple Leafs trying out a new look at the end of the pre-season. They have added newly acquired Tyson Barrie to the top unit with Morgan Rielly, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and Matthews. The design is to get as many opportunities to the two players on the half-wall, Marner and Matthews, as possible.

Should Toronto stick with this new look, it could give Matthews the boost he needs to compete with the favorites in this prop. The fact you can get him at +2000 seems like a steal.