NHL futures: Can Nathan MacKinnon have a point in every home game this season?
It should shock no one that Nathan MacKinnon topped the NHL's "Three Stars of the Week" list yet again given the insane scoring streak he has been on at home. But is your confidence in his game strong enough for you to bet on?
The Colorado Avalanche center has been a massive force at Ball Arena this season and recently extended his home point streak to 32 games as the Avs wrapped up a perfect 3-0-0 homestand. With just nine home games left in the regular season, fans and oddsmakers alike know there's a chance he could record a point in all 41 home games this season.
DraftKings currently lists MacKinnon recording at least one point in every Avs home game this season at +450 odds. Think he's worth betting on?
Here's what you should know first.
MacKinnon's home points streak is no fluke. The Avs lead the league with 3.68 goals per game, and the center leads the league with 71 assists. Colorado has only been shut out four times this season and every one of those losses happened on the road, so MacKinnon should continue getting on the stats sheet in the final nine home games of the regular season if these trends continue.
Of the nine teams left to visit the Avalanche this season, MacKinnon has at least one point against six of them. The outlying teams are the Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers and Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Avalanche have yet to play the Oilers or Blue Jackets this season. The single point-less game against the Pens was one of the rare shutouts the Avs suffered this season. Plus, MacKinnon has seven goals and 11 assists in 19 career games against Pittsburgh, so there is a very strong chance he will add to that tally when the Penguins visit before the end of the season.
With just a handful of home games left, Nathan MacKinnon could very well tally a point in every game at Ball Arena this season. Given his current form and his history against his upcoming opponents, picking No. 29 to reach this marker at +450 odds is a very attractive bet.
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