The Colorado Avalanche haven’t lifted a Stanley Cup in 20 years, but sportsbooks are backing the West Division winners to finally end their two-decade wait for a title in 2021.
That’s after Jared Bednar’s side took a 3-0 lead in their best-of-seven series against the St. Louis Blues, edging closer to booking their berth in the second round of the playoffs.
A Nathan MacKinnon hat-trick helped the Avalanche see off St. Louis 6-3 in their second post-season clash, setting the stage for a 5-1 win on Friday night in St Louis and a 3-0 series lead.
Colorado can be found at odds as low as +350 with most bookmakers, such as British sportsbook William Hill, but betting trends suggest the majority of money is being wagered on some of their dark horse rivals.
The defending champions in particular, the Tampa Bay Lightning, continue to get a good deal of action despite finishing the regular season third in the Central Division. CNN recounted their triumph in the shortened 2020 campaign, made all the more special after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers went on to win the Super Bowl in the same season.
Bettors may well have taken notice of the fact Tampa Bay were only five points below division winners the Carolina Hurricanes, not to mention both outfits finished their season with 36 wins. The Pittsburgh Penguins were the last team to successfully retain the Stanley Cup in 2017, and the Lightning yield good returns of +800 as they lead rivals the Florida Panthers 2-1 in their series.
Sergei Bobrovsky helped the Florida Panthers get back in series with Game 3 win
Of the four Canadian teams still in the running to win ice hockey’s greatest prize in 2021, the Toronto Maple Leafs are proving the biggest betting draw, though it hasn’t worked entirely in their favor.
Sheldon Keefe’s side won the North Division and are +900 outsiders for the Stanley Cup, a competition they’ve already won 13 times. However, Prohockeynews.com covered their 2-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of their series, which puts centre John Tavares’ playoff involvement in doubt following a horrible head injury in their opener.
It’s often the case that absences such as that can have a drastic effect on the rest of the squad, though such disturbances can also end up galvanizing teams in support of a fallen comrade.Despite the fact they’ve lifted the second-most Stanley Cups of any NHL outfit, it’s worth taking into account that Toronto last lifted the trophy in 1967. The Maple Leafs have fallen in the first round of the playoffs in each of the past four seasons, hoping to advance past that mark for the first time since 2013.
Their playoff opponents, the Canadiens, could be the real value pick among the post-season pack, still offering +2500 odds in places ahead of their Game 2 meeting with Toronto on Saturday.
The Montreal franchise so happens to be the most decorated in the NHL after lifting the last of their 24 titles in 1993.Bettors have been happy to wager on the steep underdogs given the high price they’re offering, which is understandable given they accumulated just 59 points in the regular season, the lowest of any team to qualify for the playoffs.
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