2025-26 NHL Norris Trophy Award Odds and Predictions

The Norris Trophy market is one of the more interesting NHL awards boards because it usually blends production, team context, and narrative more than bettors want to admit. This year’s race has a clear betting favorite on the primary board, but the pricing is doing most of the talking.

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That is what makes this market useful. Zach Werenski has built the strongest favorite’s case, Evan Bouchard has made the biggest late push among the alternatives, and Cale Makar still looks like the price that forces a second look. If you are betting this board, the real question is not who can win. It is whether the current number is worth paying.

On the surface, this market looks top-heavy. Underneath, it still has enough disagreement to create one real value angle, and that is where the best bet lives.

What Is The Norris Trophy?

The James Norris Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the NHL defenseman who demonstrates the greatest all-around ability at the position. It is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association, with ballots submitted at the end of the regular season.

NHL Norris Trophy Odds

Current odds below use BetMGM Canada’s March 30, 2026 board, with opening numbers from FanDuel’s preseason market snapshot.

This board is no longer wide open. On the primary market, Werenski has separated himself and moved from a mid-tier preseason number to a heavy favorite at -450. That tells you the market sees him as the most likely winner, but it also tells you most of the betting value may already be gone.

The biggest movement belongs to Werenski and Bouchard. Werenski has surged from +850 to -450, while Bouchard has climbed from +3500 to +550 and turned himself into the clearest alternative on this board. That kind of move matters because it shows the market is reacting to résumé strength and late-season momentum, not just preseason reputation.

Makar is where the board gets interesting. He opened at +135 and has drifted all the way to +1200 on the primary book, even though his overall case still looks strong enough to stay firmly in the conversation. If bettors are trying to decide whether the favorite is justified, the answer is yes on merit, but not necessarily at the current price. That is the split that defines this market.

If you’re betting the Norris Trophy market now, it helps to compare this futures board with the latest NHL odds and keep tracking how nightly results shape perception around the league’s top defensemen. Bettors looking for more day-to-day context can also check the NHL picks and previews hub to follow injuries, form, and matchup trends that can influence award momentum.

Norris Trophy Contenders

The Norris race really comes down to three article-worthy contenders: the favorite in Werenski, the late charger in Bouchard, and the biggest price-value case in Makar.

Zach Werenski (-450)

Werenski entered the season as a credible name, but not as the clear betting centerpiece of the board. That changed fast. He opened at +850 and now sits at -450, which makes him the biggest market mover in this race.

His case is easy to understand. He has delivered high-end production, pushed Columbus into a meaningful late-season spot, and built the kind of “most valuable defenseman to his team” narrative that often matters in this award. He also has runner-up credibility from last season, so this is not coming out of nowhere.

The case against him is mostly about price. He has done enough to deserve favorite status, but -450 is expensive in any futures market, especially when the race still feels more debated than the number suggests. Bettors can respect the résumé without wanting to pay the current tax.

As a candidate, he makes perfect sense. As a wager, he looks thin. This is the classic spot where being the most likely winner does not automatically make him the best bet.

Werenski’s case gets even stronger when you zoom out and compare this award race with the broader NHL conference odds and predictions. If Columbus keeps holding a meaningful spot in the Eastern picture, that team context only adds more weight to the argument that Werenski has built the strongest season-long Norris résumé on the board.

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Evan Bouchard (+550)

Bouchard opened at +3500 and has cut that price aggressively, which tells you the market now views him as a real factor rather than a fringe name. On the primary board, he is the main alternative to Werenski.

The appeal is obvious. He has piled up elite offensive numbers from the blue line, and that always plays in a Norris discussion. He also benefits from playing on a relevant team, which keeps his production visible and helps his résumé stay live in a crowded award race.

The problem is that his path still looks a little narrower than the price implies. He has the scoring case, but he does not have quite the same all-around narrative strength as Werenski or the same established Norris standing as Makar. That makes him viable, but not necessarily the cleanest buy.

There is still some betting appeal here, especially compared to laying -450 on the favorite. But this feels more like a respectable secondary option than the sharpest number on the board.

Bouchard’s appeal is tied to more than just offensive production from the blue line. The Stanley Cup odds and predictions page is a useful companion here because it helps bettors measure whether Edmonton’s profile as a real contender gives his late push enough team-level support to stay dangerous in this race.

Cale Makar (+1200)

Makar opened as one of the shortest prices on the board at +135, which is exactly what you would expect from a reigning Norris winner with elite two-way credibility. Now he is sitting at +1200 on the primary market, and that is what makes him the most interesting name in the race.

His résumé still works. He remains one of the league’s premier defensemen, he plays on a high-level team, and his overall profile checks the same boxes that usually drive Norris voting. He also carries the strongest blend of offensive production and all-around reputation among the top contenders.

The case against him is less about résumé and more about market direction. The board is clearly saying he has lost ground, and some of that may come from voter fatigue or the strength of Werenski’s season-long narrative. But +1200 is a very different conversation than +135. At that number, the market is asking bettors to believe he is far enough behind to be dismissed as a longshot.

That is where the value case comes in. He may not be the most likely winner on the board, but he looks like the strongest mismatch between price and realistic chance. That is usually where futures bettors want to live.

Makar looks like the best price-value case on the page, and that gets even more interesting when you compare it with the NHL Hart Trophy odds and predictions. Bettors already looking at elite overall player impact can get a clearer sense of how Makar’s all-around reputation still gives him a live path in another major awards market.

Norris Trophy Predictions

This is not the kind of market where blindly backing the favorite makes sense. Werenski has earned his place at the top, but -450 is a steep ask for an award that still has legitimate debate around it. Bouchard has a live profile and a fair argument as the main alternative, but his price has also been squeezed enough that the upside is not as clean as it was earlier.

Norris betting makes more sense when you compare it with the rest of the NHL awards board. Looking at the NHL Calder Trophy odds and predictions can help frame how this defenseman market stacks up against the league’s other major individual races.

Makar is the best betting angle because the number gives bettors room to be wrong and still make a strong futures decision. His résumé remains good enough to win, his overall profile still fits the award, and the gap between perception and price looks wider here than it does with anyone else on the board.

That does not mean he should be the favorite today. It means he is the best wager today. In a bettor-first article, that distinction matters more than anything else.

If you want to extend this handicap beyond one award, it also makes sense to review the guide to betting on NHL awards futures and the Stanley Cup odds and predictions. That gives bettors a cleaner way to connect this Norris market with the league’s broader futures picture.

Bet: Cale Makar (+1200)

Norris Trophy Prop Bets

There is no worthwhile Norris Trophy prop angle available from the provided inputs.

The market support here is almost entirely tied to the outright winner board. Without a verified player-vs-field market, finalist prop, or head-to-head angle, there is no reason to force a secondary wager just to fill space. In this case, the best betting advice is to stay with the main market or pass entirely.

Norris Trophy Winners

Here are the most recent Norris Trophy winners.