NHL Draft Over/Unders: Odds Say at Least 21 Forwards Get Drafted in First Round

• The NHL Draft is Friday, June 21st, at Rogers Arena in Vancouver
• Many mock drafts expect forwards to be in high demand in the 1st round
• Sportsbooks have posted Over/Unders on the number of forwards, defensemen, and goalies picked in round one

The Stanley Cup odds can swing if an NHL team has a great draft or a poor one and nothing makes watching more fun than sprinkling a little action to make things interesting. Three O/U bets that provide both entertainment and, potentially, value for bettors who have a good sense of which players are being targeted by which teams have been released.

The props focus on how many forwards, defensemen, and goalies are going to be drafted in the first round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Below, find the odds and my picks for all three.

NHL Draft Prop: Defenseman Drafted in 1st Round

*odds taken 6/20 

News this week was that General Managers around the league were upset about two things: (a) the cap isn’t going up as much as they hoped and (b) they were just finding out about it now.  This is important for one very simple reason, defenseman take a long time to develop and there are none in this draft that will play in the NHL this upcoming season.

Heavily debated as the No. 1 pick in the 2019 #NHLDraft. Only time will tell where Kaapo Kakko lands.

Round 1: Tomorrow on @NHLonNBCSports and @Sportsnet at 8 ET.
Round 2: Saturday on @NHLNetwork and @Sportsnet at 1 ET. pic.twitter.com/xtj1uKg0to

— NHL (@NHL) June 20, 2019

Of course there are some teams that don’t view themselves as contenders and a select few with cap space to burn, but there majority are looking for cheap contracts that could possibly contribute as early as this season.

To expect 10 or more teams to take a defenseman, which effectively means taking the long view, is something I do not see happening.  If the defensive crop was elite, there would be a possibility, but considering many prospects outside the top 10 are viewed as equals, I expect cheap forwards who can contribute to come at a bigger premium.

PICK: Under 9.5 (-120)

NHL Draft Prop: Forwards Drafted in 1st Round

*odds taken 6/20

The oddsmakers agree with my assessment that forwards will be called early and often in the draft on Friday night and they set the line high to combat that.  You can get rewarded here if you have the courage to take Over 21.5, which is something I think is a big possibility.

Of the top 12 players on the board, 10 are forwards, including the top two picks in Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko.

Jack Hughes on possibly going number one: “It’d be a dream come true, it’d be unbelievable. Going number one is such a huge feat, so if it goes that way I’d be really excited.” pic.twitter.com/uD2G5ibTx5

— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) June 20, 2019

With goalies few and far between on the board, if I’m going under with the defenseman you better believe I’m siding with the Over here, especially with it paying even money.

PICK: Over 21.5 (+100)

NHL Draft Prop: Goalies Drafted in 1st Round

*odds taken 6/20

This is my favorite bet available because it offers very little risk.  Spencer Knight from the US National Development Program is going to be drafted in the 1st round; that’s a near certainty.  Hammer the over and collect your money back if no other goalies are selected.

#NHLDraft Top Prospects in Vancouver with Stanley Park in the background. Left to right:

Kappo Kakko ??
Spencer Knight ??
Cole Caufield ??
Trevor Zegras ??
Jack Hughes ??
Alex Turcotte ??
Kirby Dach ??
Bowen Byram ??
Dylan Cozens ?? pic.twitter.com/IHWJ8k6kyG

— Joey Kenward (@kenwardskorner) June 20, 2019

When Knight goes off the board early, you get to enjoy the rest of the round knowing you’ve put yourself in a win or draw scenario.

PICK: Over 1.0 (-130)