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It's the most wonderful time of the year! Nope, it's not the holiday season - it's Super Bowl season!
We all know that the two weeks leading up to the Big Game are the busiest two weeks of the betting season, and they are also the most fun. Props, props and more props. Some of the more interesting proposition wagers available for the Super Bowl are of the cross-sport variety. Let's take a look at a few of those NHL versus Super Bowl LI crossover props.
Connor McDavid total points at Montreal vs. total interceptions in Super Bowl LI (William Hill US)
The NHL's leading scorer, Connor McDavid, and his Edmonton Oilers teammates will be in Montreal on Sunday afternoon to battle the Canadiens in a nationally televised game in Canada. You can expect the young Oilers to come out flying, draw some penalties using their speed and test the below average penalty kill of the Habs (No. 23 in the NHL at 79.2 percent). McDavid will likely be involved in every goal scored by Edmonton - the big question is can they score more than one or two.
In the football game, despite the expectations of the game being an all-out air assault by both teams, there shouldn't be a lot of interceptions. Tom Brady, incredibly, only tossed two picks all season and the New England defense is not known for grabbing balls out of the air.
There may be a deflected ball that falls into a defender's hands at some point, but one interception is about all we can expect from these two teams. Connor McDavid has a much higher ceiling in this matchup.
Pick: Connor McDavid total points at Montreal
Calgary Flames at New York Rangers total goals in the first period vs. Matt Bryant total field goals made in Super Bowl LI (Sportsbook.ag)
The New York Rangers are the second highest scoring team in the National Hockey League at 3.35 goals per game. Simple math says the Rangers are likely good for one goal in the opening period versus the Calgary Flames on Sunday afternoon. The Flames, on the other hand, rank No. 21 with only 2.58 goals per game. That is less than one goal per period so we'll use the overflow from the Rangers and handicap this as a 1-1 game after the first period.
Matt Bryant, on the other hand, could be in for a big day in the field goal department. The Patriots employ a very effective bend-but-don't-break defensive system that really tightens up when opposing teams get into the red zone. The Falcons will get their share of offensive yardage Sunday, but they will be held to fourth down kicks three or four times. There has even been some betting action on Matt Bryant as Super Bowl MVP based on the Patriots' ability to keep teams out of the end zone (currently at 10/1 at William Hill US in Nevada after opening at 100/1).
Pick: Matt Bryant total field goals
Alex Ovechkin total shots on goal versus Los Angeles Kings (-0.5) vs. totals sacks in Super Bowl LI (William Hill US)
Gone are the days when Washington Capitals' sniper Alex Ovechkin would wind up and fire the puck on net every time he crossed the blue line. Ovie is averaging right around 3.9 shots on goal per game this season - he's more efficient and most will agree he is now a better "team player". However, Ovechkin still has the potential to hit the ice in front of a massive Sunday afternoon NBC audience and pepper the net from all angles. Ovie's ceiling for shots on goal, on any given night, could potentially be as high as 8-10.
Atlanta's defense is not good - let's just be brutally honest. The only chance the Falcons are going to have at slowing down Tom Brady and the Patriots on Sunday is to get a fierce pass rush on virtually every play from scrimmage. Bill Belichick and Pats' offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels are fully aware of this fact and will attempt to get the ball out of Brady's hands quickly, using the speed and elusiveness of their wide receivers to gain big chunks of yardage. Don't expect many five-step drop backs from the Patriots' quarterback this Sunday.
The Patriots have a very good defense, but they are not big on the pass rush. The Pats have only recorded three sack thus far in the playoffs and their 34 during the regular season ranked them in the lower half of the league.
You can expect one or two sacks from each team Sunday which will put the total number right around Alex Ovechkin's season average for shots on goal per game (3.9). Ovie has a much higher ceiling and should be considered the big favorite in this matchup.
Pick: Alex Ovechkin total shots (-0.5)
Vegas Golden Knights total points during 2017-18 season (-20.5) vs. Devonta Freeman total rushing yards in Super Bowl LI (Westgate LV Superbook)
As much as everyone in Las Vegas is excited about getting a professional sports franchise, it's an expansion team so expectations should be very low for their first year. The last time the NHL expanded was for the 2000-01 season when the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Minnesota Wild were welcomed to the league. The Jackets finished their first season with 71 points and the Wild were even worse with 68.
The current league rules allow for more team points with the extra point being awarded for a shootout victory, but you still must assume the Golden Knights will finish somewhere near the bottom of the league next season. The worst teams in the NHL, even with the extra shootout points, are generally around the 70 point mark. We can give the Golden Knights a few extra points due to the "Vegas factor" and estimate 75 points in 2017-18.
With the -20.5 being put on the Golden Knights that means we will need 55 rushing yards out of Devonta Freeman. Although the Patriots are very good against the run (third in the NFL during the regular season at 88.6 yards allowed per game), Freeman is a dynamic running back who will only need to bust off one big run in order to cover this number. At just under 74 yards per game during the regular season, Freeman won't have to come anywhere near his season average in order to take down the expansion Golden Knights.
Pick: Devonta Freeman total rushing yards
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