2019 NHL Entry Draft Props: Hughes Looks like a Lock to Go at No. 1

While the St. Louis Blues are still occupied celebrating after capturing the 2018-19 Stanley Cup, the other 30 teams in the National Hockey League are still getting ready for the 2019 NHL Entry Draft that occurs on June 21-22.
In regards to odds on which player is going to be taken with the first overall pick, it’s clear oddsmakers have made up their minds. Jack Hughes is your substantial -1200 favored to go at No. 1 at BetOnline, with Kaapo Kakko coming back as the +600 underdog. No other players are available to wager on at the shop.
Jack Hughes Is Your -1200 Favorite To Go First In The 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
This isn’t actually much of a surprise considering Hughes has become the front-runner to go off the board first since last year. The American centre had 112 points (34 goals, 78 assists) in 50 games with the U.S. National U18 Team at 2018-19 and is viewed as one of the most talented prospects to join the draft in quite some time. Barring a significant surprise, Hughes will likely visit the New Jersey Devils, who own the No. 1 pick.
Don’t Sleep on Kakko
While Hughes was hogging the majority of the accolades entering the draft, Kakko has emerged as a can’t-miss prospect. The Finn gathered 38 points (22 goals, 16 assists) in 45 games with TPS Turku in SM-liiga and capped his year off with what would turn out to be his coming-out party at the 2019 IIHF world championship when he scored six times in 10 games for Finland.
That performance pleased the New York Rangers Steel, since the Rangers will surely take Kakko at select No. 2 if Hughes goes to the Devils. Things can change quickly in the NHL, however, so if you think the Devils will jolt the hockey world and take Kakko with the first pick, his +600 cost is appealing.
More NHL Draft Props
At the same time, Sports Interaction has draft position OVER/UNDER props for the other top prospects accessible at the 2019 NHL Draft on Friday, together with odds on which player will be chosen third overall at the night behind Hughes and Kakko.
Kirby Dach from Saskatoon of the WHL has an OVER/UNDER draft place of 5.5, using a -120 moneyline on each side of this bet. Fellow WHL forward Dylan Cozens of Lethbridge sits using an OVER/UNDER draft place of 5.5 as well, but the OVER is preferred at -160 with the UNDER place at +115. American forward Cole Caufield’s OVER/UNDER is 6.5 (OVER favored at -170), although Russian forward Vasili Podkolzin’s OVER/UNDER is 10.5 (UNDER favorite at -145).
Defenseman Bowen Byram, from Vancouver of the WHL, is the preferred to be chosen third overall on Friday night. That pick is owned by the Chicago Blackhawks heading into the draft. American ahead Alex Turcotte is next on that prop bet at -250, followed by the two Dach and Cozens in +1300, and Caufield at +3500.
To find odds on which the 2019-20 Stanley Cup will be captured by NHL team, take a look at our NHL futures page.