The records set by Wayne Gretzky were not meant to be broken. The great has nearly 1,000 more career points (2,857) than Jaromir Jagr (second with 1,921) and 1,200 more than the nearest active player, Sidney Crosby (1,644). Many points. Gretzky has more than 700 assists (1,963) more than second-place finisher Ron Francis (1,249) and nearly 1,000 more than current leader Crosby (1,040).

For Alex Ovechkin to be just 21 goals away from tying Gretzky's record of 894 goals, it's obviously no small feat and the chase is already raising obvious eyebrows. As with any big historical or record-setting moment, bettors are increasingly looking to get a piece of the action. It doesn't hurt that the Washington Capitals captain leads the scoring race and his team dominates the league -- both welcome surprises.

In the 2023-24 season, the 39-year-old player scored 31 goals in 79 games, averaging 0.39 goals per game, the lowest in his career. It is believed that Father Time has finally caught up with Ovechkin, and it will take him at least two more seasons to catch up to Gretzky.

Sportsbooks are still hoping to capitalize on the excitement of Ovechkin's record chase while acknowledging that it's unlikely he will achieve that goal during the 2024-25 campaign. BetMGM, DraftKings and FanDuel have special offers on him to break this season's record goalscoring record of 895, with opening odds of +1000. Other books, like Caesar and ESPN BET, were not on the market at the start of the season because it was considered impossible.

Ovechkin started the season with an absolutely blistering scoring pace, scoring 15 goals in the first 18 games - an average of 0.83 goals per game, which would be the best of his career over the entire season. Number of balls. It also produced another unexpected development: The Capitals won the Stanley Cup this season after a 75-1 start — tied for 23rd in the league — but halfway through the season, they were in the Metropolitan Division. and the Eastern Conference. They are tied with the Winnipeg Jets for first place in the NHL standings with 63 points.

"I had no idea we would be where we are today," Karry Shreeve, Caesars Sportsbook's director of hockey, told ESPN. "I certainly didn't project the Capitals as a team to where they are right now, and that reflects some of where we stand right now. So, what's relevant to me is that Ovechkin wouldn't be fully involved in that, either." (Recorded) Neighborhood. "

The team's success has created some major headaches for sportsbooks, with BetMGM reporting that Washington is its second-biggest liability for winning the Cup, behind the ever-popular New York Rangers. Shreve said his trading team didn't "buy" the hot start and didn't adjust the odds on bottle cap futures until it was absolutely forced to do so. He added that "customers will do great" if Washington can cash in on tickets to win the division, division or championship.

The Capitals' surprisingly strong start has put them in the black every night. If a $100-per-game bettor backed Washington in every game on the money line, he would lead the league by $1,279. Still, DraftKings sports betting director Johnny Avello told ESPN that Ovechkin's hot touch didn't affect the book's line setting.

Despite Team USA's success, this season has not been without drama. On November 18, Ovechkin scored two goals against the Utah Hockey Club, a night when he had his first hat trick of the season. But in that game, he collided with Utah's Jake McBain and fractured his fibula, ultimately missing 16 games.

That temporarily stymied the momentum of his betting action and extended his odds of breaking Gretzky's record this season, which were quickly shortened.

BetMGM senior trader Matthew Rowe told ESPN: "Ovechkin miraculously turned the clock back a few years before his injury and was on track to easily break the record this year. Everyone is excited about it. "His performances have slowed down a bit since his return and now we're seeing more balanced action... His chances of achieving that this season continue to decrease."

Shreve and his team at Caesars used Ovechkin's time off to re-evaluate how the book handles special markets. They reopened the market shortly after Ovechkin returned, and after five goals in 10 games, Ovechkin's odds on a record-breaking season are now +140 as of January 16th.

"The whole point of something like this is you want to make it very attractive to players on the 'yes' side," Shreve said. "So in terms of the math that we're absolutely forced to do... we want to keep that as much as possible."

ESPN BET launched a special market at +120 in early January, which has reportedly been popular with bettors. Despite being open for a shorter time, the market has already accepted bets and handles more than the sportsbook's special offering on Shohei Ohtani's 50-plus home runs and 50-plus stolen bases in the 2024 MLB season.

Assuming Ovechkin can pick up the pace, sportsbooks will turn their attention to other special markets related to the record chase, such as which team he will play against and how he will break the record. FanDuel reports that while the latter game doesn't feature much action, the most popular option is the power play, with Ovechkin already the all-time leading scorer with 317 goals.

The hype surrounding Ovechkin's record-setting quest isn't limited to the special futures market. The winger's prop for scoring at any time has proven to be a very popular play among NHL bettors whenever the Capitals play.

On January 7, Ovechkin became the league's most betted goal scorer with ESPN BET, with twice as many bets as the next closest player. It's the eighth time this season that he's been one of the favorite goal scorers at sportsbooks.

BetMGM reports that Ovechkin has the second-highest ticket totals and disposals of any NHL goal scorer, and he has been the Capitals' player with the most market bets per game since returning from injury.

Shreve stressed that Caesars tries to offer attractive live odds in as many markets as possible because bettors always seem to flock in when they get the chance.

"We're obviously a book and, of course, we're trying to make a profit, but it never hurts when he scores," Schreve said. "It just keeps the momentum going, keeps the happy customers, and they keep coming back. If he can continue to give you a good rhythm, it's a win-win for everyone."