• NHL

Alex Ovechkin vs. Wayne Gretzky – Can Ovechkin Break the All-Time Goals Record?

One of the biggest storylines of the 2024-2025 NHL season has been Ovechkin vs. Gretzky. The Great One retired in 1999, but he still casts a large shadow over the sport. Alexander Ovechkin, a legend in his own right, can break one of Gretzky’s many records this season.

Ovechkin is less than a dozen goals away from breaking Gretzky’s regular season scoring record. Keep reading to see the latest odds for Ovechkin breaking Gretzky’s record from top hockey betting sites.

How Many Goals Does Ovechkin Need to Pass Gretzky?

First and foremost, how many goals does Ovechkin need to pass Gretzky? In his 20+ year NHL career, Gretzky scored 894 goals in the regular season.

So, how far is Ovechkin from Gretzky? The Russian entered this season with 853 career regular-season goals in the NHL. Ovechkin scored his 35th goal of the season in the Capitals’ 3-2 win over Philadelphia on March 20th.

With that goal against the Flyers, Ovechkin increased his career regular-season total to 888. The Russian is now just six goals from tying Gretsky’s record, and seven regular-season goals from setting a new record.

Ovechkin vs. Gretzky Prop Bets

Historical moments, such as Ovechkin chasing Gretzky’s goal record, are always exciting to watch. You can make this record chase even more thrilling using these Ovechkin-Gretzky prop wagers available at BetUS.

Ovechkin to Score 895th Goal in 2024/2025 Regular Season

• Yes (-190)
• No (+140)

The easiest way to wager on Ovechkin vs. Gretzky’s stats is with this prop wager. BetUS lists Ovechkin at -190 to break Gretzky’s regular season goals record. For this prop, Ovechkin must break the record by scoring his 895th goal in the 2024-2025 regular season.

Ovechkin and the Capitals have just 13 games left in the regular season, so the Russian is running out of time to hit the record this year.

The “no” option in this wager is listed at +140. However, I expect those odds to shift based on Ovechkin’s scoring pace down the stretch. For instance, before his goal against Philadelphia, he was listed at even money to break the record this year.

Ovechkin has scored 35 goals in 53 games, but his scoring has slowed significantly. He has just five goals in his 10 games so far in March. For reference, he had seven goals in eight appearances in February, including a hat trick against Edmonton.

It would be easy for Ovechkin to chase down Gretzky’s record if he can string together multi-goal games. However, that is unlikely, and I think he will have to wait until next season to break the Great One’s record.

Lineup for Ovechkin’s Record-Breaking Goal

• Equal Strength (-220)
• Power Play (+150)
• Short Handed (+2000)

BetUS also has a prop for the lineup on the ice when Ovechkin breaks the goals record Gretzky set in 1999. Currently, an equal strength formation is the -220 favorite. A power play is a close second at +150, and Washington behind short-handed is a distant third at +2000.

In theory, a power play is easier to score on. However, only nine of Ovechkin’s 34 goals this season have come on power plays. He also has zero goals and zero assists when Washington has been short-handed this season, and only five such goals in his whole regular-season career.

It is challenging to bet against the favorite in this market. Over 63% of Ovechkin’s career regular-season goals have come during equal-strength lineups. With that in mind, I recommend sticking with equal strength lineups for this prop wager.

Period of Ovechkin’s 895th Regular Season Goal

• 1st period (+275)
• 2nd period (+225)
• 3rd period (+110)
• Overtime (+2800)

You can also wager on the period of the game that Ovechkin scores his 895th regular season goal. The third period is a +110 favorite in this futures prop. The second and first periods are available at +225 and +275, respectively.

A record-breaking goal in overtime is a distant fourth at +2800. Ovechkin already has the record for career overtime goals with 27.

On paper, each period offers equal opportunities for Ovechkin to score. However, he has scored 18 goals in the third period this year. When he is within striking distance of the record, though, I believe the Capitals will feed Ovechkin to help him break it. Considering that, I think the second period is the best option for this wager.

Opponent for Ovechkin’s 895th Regular Season Goal

• Columbus Blue Jackets (+350)
• New York Islanders (+450)
• Carolina Hurricanes (+600)
• Pittsburgh Penguins (+1000)
• Chicago Blackhawks (+1600)
• Boston Bruins (+3000)

Another Ovechkin goals prop I like is this market for the team that the Russian will break the record against. Columbus is the favorite at +350, with the Islanders a close second at +450. Other options include Carolina (+600), Pittsburgh (+1000), Chicago (+1600), and Boston (+3000).

For reference, Washington’s remaining opponents this season include:

• Florida Panthers
• Winnipeg Jets
• Minnesota Wild
• Buffalo Sabres
• Boston Bruins
• Carolina Hurricanes (twice)
• Chicago Blackhawks
• New York Islanders (twice)
• Columbus Blue Jackets (twice)
• Pittsburgh Penguins

Washington’s back-to-back games against Columbus at the end of the season are a big reason why the Blue Jackets are the favorite. The Capitals’ final games of the year are against New York and Pittsburgh, though. Also, their games against Columbus, and one of their outings against Carolina, are sandwiched between their matchups with New York.

As mentioned above, I do not believe Ovechkin will break the record this year. However, if he does, I think it will happen against the Islanders. New York’s scoring defense is average at best, allowing 2.94 goals per game. Columbus’s defense is also lousy, allowing 3.31 goals per game, which could set Ovechkin up to break the record in the penultimate game of the year.

More Ovechkin Record-Breaking Props

In addition to the Gretzky vs. Ovechkin stats props above, BetUS has these other record-breaking markets available for Ovechkin. 

Ovechkin to Pass Joe Sakic’s in All-Time Points (+1800)

The Great One’s all-time regular-season points record of 2,857 is unlikely ever to be broken. Ovechkin may not be able to catch Gretzky, but he is listed at 18-1 odds to pass Joe Sakic in all-time points. Sakic scored 1,641 regular-season points in his career.

After Washington’s win over the Flyers, Ovechkin has 1,607 total points in his career. He needs just 34 points to pass Sakic on the all-time points list. However, he is unlikely to reach that mark this season, so I would pass on this market for now.

Ovechkin to Break Sidney Crosby’s All-Time Points Record (+300)

The rivalry between Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby has helped define the last 20 years of the NHL. Both are former number-one overall picks and have compiled legendary stats throughout their careers.

Crosby entered the season with 1,596 points, and Sid the Kid has scored 74 points this year. His 1,670 points give Crosby a 63-point cushion over Ovechkin.

Ovechkin cannot pass Crosby without first passing Sakic. Crosby passed Sakic on the all-time scoring list in January. Given the odds for each market, I would bet on Ovechkin passing Sakic at 18-1 odds before I wagered on him passing Crosby at 3-1 odds.

Ovechkin to Break Jaromir Jagr’s All-Time Game-Winning Goals Record (+1800)

Another futures prop for Ovechkin to consider is this wager for him to break the all-time game-winning goals record. Ovechkin is tied with Jaromir Jagr for the most game-winners ever at 135.

Despite needing just one goal to stand alone in the record books, Ovechkin is listed at +1800 in this market at secure sports betting sites. He already has six game-winning goals this year, his most since the 2020-2021 season.

At 18-1 odds, even a small bet will create a sizeable payout on this bet. I recommend betting on this wager even if you only risk a half or quarter-stake.

Will Ovechkin Break Gretzky’s Record?

The Ovechkin vs. Gretzky record watch has been a major storyline all season. With just over a dozen games left, Ovechkin is running out of time to pass The Great One. Check out the guide above to see the latest odds for Ovechkin to break Gretzky’s regular-season scoring record this season.

Then, create your BetUS account today to bet on Ovechkin’s record chase. New members can use the 125% sports welcome bonus to get up to $2,000 in bonus funds on their first three deposits.