2021 NHL MVP Odds: McDavid Builds Big Lead

The NHL MVP odds race has become a one-man show.

Odds to win the Hart Trophy look pretty set in stone at this point unless a late-season injury derails the case of the Edmonton Oilers' superstar center. With under a month to go in the shortened season, it's hard to see how anyone will gain enough ground to catch the NHL's points leader. The runner-up race is where the real action is at.

Let's take a look at who has the best Hart Trophy odds to win the NHL MVP award. 

Odds to win 2020-21 NHL MVP award

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook on April 20, 2021.

Favorite to win the NHL MVP award

Connor McDavid remains the clear betting favorite to win the NHL MVP award at -1,500 odds. McDavid's odds have more than doubled in the last two weeks and with his Oilers having an outside chance at winning the North Division, this award appears to be locked up already.

The Oilers captain has led the NHL in points for the entire season and is up double-digits in the points race with 74 through 44 games. The 1.68 points per game he's averaging is a career high and he has also set a personal-best mark with nine game-winning goals. McDavid's gunning for his second Hart Trophy and, at 24 years old, it's unlikely to be his last.

Toronto Maple Leafs sniper Auston Matthews remains in second, well behind McDavid, at +950 odds. Matthews has been the driving force on a Maple Leafs team that's holding on to the top spot in the all-Canadian division, but he'll have to set his eyes on other hardware.

The good news for him is that he shouldn't go home empty-handed at the end of the season, as Matthews has led the NHL in goals for the majority of the year and is currently the leader with 33 in 41 games. If he holds on, he'll win his first Maurice Richard Trophy, awarded to the league leader in goals. Matthews enters play April 20 up seven goals on the Colorado Avalanche's Mikko Rantanen, who is tied with Victor Hedman for fifth on the odds board at +2,600 odds.

Sidney Crosby has overtaken Patrick Kane and emerged as the new No. 3. The Pittsburgh Penguins star is having a quieter year by his standards, but is still scoring at well above a point-per-game pace for a Penguins team that has gotten hot. 

Kane closed in on McDavid with a 24-point February but has been losing ground recently. He was at +400 odds as of March 31 but less than a month later has dropped to +1,500 and fourth in odds.

Understanding NHL MVP odds

Most sportsbooks will display odds in the American format as listed above. When the regular season is nearly finished and a consensus has emerged, you might see a player with a minus sign (-) ahead of his odds, like this:

• Connor McDavid -400

The (-) means that McDavid is the odds-on favorite, and a bettor would need to wager $400 to win $100. Other contenders in the MVP race might have plus (+) odds to win.

• Nathan MacKinnon +650

Here, a bettor stood to profit $650 for every $100 wagered. 

If American odds aren't your thing, simply use a tool like our odds converter to switch the odds to decimal or fractional format. Most online sportsbooks also give you the option to change the odds format that you see.

NHL Hart Trophy history

A quick look at recent NHL MVPs and the position they played.

Where can I bet on NHL MVP odds?

You can bet on NHL futures at most online and casino sportsbooks, including NHL MVP odds. Find ratings and reviews for the best sportsbooks for betting on hockey futures in your area.