NHL betting enthusiasts know that there are two superstars in the NHL right now: Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. Determining which of these two players is better would involve a debate that would likely result in about half of the NHL community favoring Crosby and half of the NHL betting community favoring Ovechkin. Nevertheless, the two players do have slightly different strengths, which NHL analysts must take into consideration when handicapping the hockey odds for their respective teams.

NHL fans can probably all agree that Crosby is the face of the NHL right now. In only a few seasons he has established himself as a superstar and already led his team to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Penguins have also surrounded Crosby with lots of young talent, meaning Hockey on Pittsburgh will continue to be popular for the foreseeable future. Crosby’s presence undoubtedly impacts the NHL odds significantly, as was illustrated in the 2007-08 season when he missed six weeks with an ankle sprain.

NHL betting analysts assumed the Penguins would be a different team without Crosby and they were right. Not only is Crosby a tremendous offensive threat, he is also a skilled defensive player and a team leader. In this way, Crosby is a better-rounded player than Ovechkin, so Crosby impacts the Hockey lines in a variety of ways. Within the NHL betting community expectations are soaring for the Penguins, so the hockey betting odds will demand a lot from the team and the Penguins may not always provide the best NHL value. Nevertheless, there is not a game Pittsburgh cannot win when Crosby is on the ice.

Ovechkin is not nearly as famous as Crosby, especially with the general public, but he has undoubtedly proven himself to be the NHL’s other budding superstar. He has played a major role in turning the Capitals into a highly competitive team that will likely play for the Stanley Cup in the next few seasons.

Many NHL fans love watching Ovechkin play because of the excitement that he brings to the ice. Ovechkin takes lots of shots and is a great goal scorer. His defensive abilities remain a work in progress, but there is no question that his skills in this area are improving quickly. He is also widely respected in his locker room and establishing himself as a team leader, although he does not yet boast the playoff experience that Crosby does.

Ovechkin impacts not only puck line and money line hockey betting odds, but also the over/under hockey betting odds simply because he is such a prolific goal scorer.

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Smith

Published on: December 1, 2010
Last updated: March 29, 2022

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