Draisaitl (+275) Almost Even with McDavid (+250) Atop 2020 Art Ross Trophy Odds

• Leon Draisaitl’s odds to lead the NHL in score only trail teammate Connor McDavid, and not by much
• The German forward currently leads the NHL in scoring with 25 points
• Is Draisaitl or McDavid the better bet to win the scoring title?

Leon Draisaitl is almost even with linemate Connor McDavid atop the 2020 Art Ross Trophy odds. Draisaitl is outscoring McDavid by two points and has recorded double the number of goals (12-6).

The two forwards factor in on almost all of each other’s goals and are both averaging a league-high 23 minutes of ice time.

Considering McDavid has already won two Art Ross Trophies in his career, will Draisaitl be able to keep pace with his superstar teammate this season?

2020 Art Ross Trophy Odds

Odds collected Nov. 1.

Draisaitl’s Red-Hot Start

Draisaitl currently sits atop the NHL scoring race after the first month of the season. The German forward has been scorching hot, recording 12 goals and 25 points in his first 14 games.

• Leads league in points (25)
• Tied for lead in goals (12)

Congrats to Leon Draisaitl on being named the @NHL's Third Star of the Month after a stellar October! ?#LetsGoOilers https://t.co/qdrYZYqDCt

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) November 1, 2019

Draisaitl began the season on an eight-game point streak and has at least a point in all but two games for the Oilers this season. He’s on pace for another insane season after putting up 50 goals and 105 points last season.

Draisaitl is a lethal sniper, but his 24.5 shooting percentage is likely unsustainable. His career shooting percentage average is 16.5% and even last year, when he scored 50 goals, it was at 21.6%. Even if his goal-scoring slows down to an extent, can he produce points at McDavid’s rate?

McDavid Is Proven 100-point Player

While Draisaitl surpassed the 100-point mark for the first time last season, McDavid has put up 100 points in three straight seasons. The young phenom won the Art Ross Trophy in 2017 and 2018 and could have made it a three-peat in 2019 had he not missed four games and Nikita Kucherov and the Tampa Bay Lightning not had a video-game like season.

Draisaitl is a very reliable scorer, but he doesn’t have the ability to take over games like McDavid does. McDavid leads the NHL with 17 assists and can explode for five points on any given night, like he did against the Flyers earlier this season. Nobody in the league can make plays like the one McDavid made on Philadelphia’s Justin Braun and Carter Hart.

Draisaitl is more of a steady producer who isn’t able to dominate games to the extent that McDavid can. McDavid’s insane ceiling is one that simply can’t be matched.

Art Ross History

The NHL scoring race typically isn’t won by one of the top goal-scorers in the league. Evgeni Malkin is the only 50-goal winner in the last 11 years. The Pittsburgh forward won the trophy in 2011-12 with 50 goals and 109 points, which was the second-lowest point total in seven years. The Art Ross is typically won by players piling up loads of assists.

#LetsGoOilers Connor McDavid's 260 career assists are the 7th-most in #NHL history through a player's first 300 career games:

W. Gretzky – 413
M. Lemieux – 317
P. Stastny – 302
P. Forsberg – 274
D. Savard – 272
S. Crosby – 269
C. McDavid – 260

— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) October 30, 2019

Draisaitl is a talented playmaker, but he isn’t close to being on McDavid’s level. McDavid has finished top-two in assists in the NHL for three straight years due to his blazing speed and ridiculous individual skill.

McDavid is the more talented player and his incredible skating ability will lead to him picking up assists on a decent amount of plays that Draisaitl won’t be a part of.

Betting Advice

As good as Draisaitl has been to start the season, I don’t think he’ll be able to keep up  with McDavid’s point production this season.

Draisaitl’s current shooting percentage is unsustainable, and he can’t take over games to the extent that McDavid can. Draisaitl is rising, but McDavid has already hit 100 points three times and is a two-time Art Ross Trophy winner.

Draisaitl is a great goal-scorer, but McDavid is the best player in the NHL and the better bet to win the Art Ross trophy.