Oilers vs. Canucks Wednesday NHL odds, props: Connor McDavid opens as historic heavy favorite to win fourth Hart Trophy

Go look at the 2023 NFL MVP odds. Or the 2024 NBA MVP odds. You will not find a player at close to minus-money to win either of those awards. Very late in the regular season, sure, but not this early or in the preseason. The Edmonton Oilers and superstar Connor McDavid open their NHL season Wednesday night in Vancouver and McDavid is -105 at DraftKings to win a fourth Hart Trophy and be crowned the NHL's MVP.

This writer can't remember a minus-money favorite to win an NHL individual award entering a season, but I can't speak to what was happening way back in the day with Wayne Gretzky. Going back to the 2010-11 season via sportsoddshistory.com, the shortest opening odds for an eventual Hart Trophy winner was McDavid last year at +300. Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby was the same price entering the 2013-14 campaign.

There was no doubt who the best player in the league was last year. McDavid won a fifth career Art Ross Trophy by leading the league with 153 points, by far a career high. McDavid was the first skater since the legendary Mario Lemieux in 1995-96 to score 150 points. McDavid also earned the Rocket Richard Trophy with a career high and NHL-best 64 goals. He earned 195 first-place votes for the Hart Trophy, with Boston's David Pastrnak getting the only other first-place vote.

McDavid joined Lemieux, Alex Ovechkin, Bobby Clarke, Bobby Orr, Howie Morenz, Eddie Shore, Gordie Howe and Gretzky as the only players to win the Hart Trophy at least three times. Shore won it four times, Howe win six and the Great One grabbed nine.

To say McDavid is taking a heavy lean to win it again this season is a bit of an understatement. He's taking 77% of the handle and 75% of the bets at DK. No other player has more than 7% in either category. McDavid also is the +220 favorite to win a second straight Rocket Richard Trophy as the league's top goalscorer and is taking 72% of the bets and 26% of the handle.

Edmonton as a whole is popular at the book. It ranks No. 2 in overall money and tickets taken to win the Stanley Cup (+1000), first in action to win the Western Conference (+500) and first to win the Presidents' Trophy (+600) for the most regular-season points.

For tonight's game in Vancouver, McDavid is -125 for an anytime goal and has an over/under of 1.5 points, and the Oilers are -162 favorites. McDavid had five goals and two assists in three games vs. the Canucks last season.

Get more out of your SportsLine subscription! 

• Picks: NFL | NBA | CFB | CBB
• DFS: Lineup Optimizer | Picks
• Early Edge: YouTube | Apple Podcasts
• Newsletters: SportsLine Daily | Fantasy

Qualifying SportsLine members receive a 30-day free trial of Paramount+ premium. Sync your account right here.