Ovechkin record pursuit, Capitals surge create betting frenzy - ESPN

Records set by Wayne Gretzky aren't meant to be broken. The Great One has nearly 1,000 more career points (2,857) than Jaromir Jagr (1,921 in second place) and over 1,200 more than the closest active player, Sidney Crosby (1,644). Gretzky has over 700 more assists (1,963) than second-placed Ron Francis (1,249) and almost 1,000 more than Crosby, the active leader (1,040).

For Alex Ovechkin to be just 21 goals away from tying Gretzky's record of 894 is clearly no small feat, and the chase has created a palpable buzz. As with any major moment of historical or record-setting interest, bettors are increasingly looking for a piece of the action. It hasn't hurt that the Washington Capitals captain is ahead of schedule in the goal race and his team dominates the league — both welcome surprises.

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During the 2023-24 season, the 39-year-old scored 31 goals in 79 games for a pace of 0.39 goals per game, the lowest of his career. The belief was that Father Time had finally caught up with Ovechkin and he would need at least two more seasons to catch Gretzky.

Sportsbooks still wanted to tap into the excitement of Ovechkin's record chase while acknowledging the implausibility of him getting it done during the 2024-25 campaign. BetMGM, DraftKings and FanDuel offered a special on him breaking the record this season (recording goal 895), opening at +1000 odds. Other books, like Caesars and ESPN BET, didn't begin the season with the market on the board due to its supposedly unlikely nature.

Ovechkin began the season on an absolutely torrid