Betting NHL Stanley Cup futures
written March 4, 2010 by Jeff Janey
Upon the resumption of the National Hockey League's regular season after the Vancouver Games, I invested in a ticket on the Ottawa Senators to win the Stanley Cup championship.
I like that the Senators had been in top form heading into the break for the Olympics, with 14 victories in their previous 16 games.
I like that they're sitting atop the Northeast Division with 76 points, fourth in the Eastern Conference but in a tight race for second behind the Washington Capitals. The Senators have a reasonable chance of entering the playoffs as one of the top two or three seeds in the conference.
I like how general manager Bryan Murray showed he was serious about pushing for a Stanley Cup run, acquiring defenseman Andy Sutton this week and forward Matt Cullen before the hiatus to beef up the Ottawa roster.
The deals appeared to have inspired confidence among Ottawa's players.
"I like the move," Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson was quoted by The Canadian Press. "I don't know much about (Sutton) except playing against him and he's a hard-nosed player who plays hard, blocks shots, hits and is hard to play against. It's obviously a good addition for us.
"Bryan's given us two players that have been around for a while in Cullen and Sutton to help us and give us more depth, so I definitely like our team."
Most of all, though, I like the odds attached to the Senators' chances of winning the Cup: a healthy 50-1 at the sports book at the Las Vegas Hilton.
While the team's outlook is bright in any case, it was the attractive odds that allowed me to pull the trigger on the future-book ticket.
I felt the price was a bargain relative to Ottawa's standing in the betting marketplace. Elsewhere in Las Vegas, for example, the Senators are 40-1 at the Venetian, 30-1 at all Station Casinos properties, 20-1 at Cal-Neva books, 18-1 at Leroy's, and 16-1 at MGM-Mirage casinos. By way of comparison, for offshore bettors, at Matchbook this morning there was $97 available on Ottawa at 28-1, $445 available at 22-1, at $500 available at 20-1.
The wide disparity in odds underscores the importance of shopping around before placing any sports wager, but particularly one in a future book.
Following is a rundown of the Stanley Cup odds on a handful of other contending teams I have been following (though not firing on to capture the Cup at the betting window) ...
-- The Capitals, who lead not only the Southeast Division but the entire NHL with 92 points, also upgraded their depth and experience for a playoff run by adding forward Scott Walker, center Eric Belanger and defensemen Joe Corvo and Milan Jurcina.
"I don't know if we're the favorite," coach Bruce Boudreau told the Washington Post. "But any time you have the chance to improve your team without giving up a lot, that's a pretty good exchange."
Indeed, Washington is either the Stanley Cup favorite or a close second or third choice, depending on where you shop. The price on Washington to win the Cup is currently as low as 2-1 in Las Vegas, at the Leroy's joints, but it can also be found at 3-1 (MGM-Mirage), 7-2 (Stations), 4-1 (Hilton) and 9-2 (Cal-Neva and the Venetian). Matchbook has more than $1,000 available at plus-375, not as good as the best Vegas has to offer.
Las Vegas odds are current as of this week, and as always are subject to change.
-- The San Jose Sharks, tied with Chicago for the most points in the Western Conference, command short prices in NHL future books but have to prove they can avert delirium tremens brought on by the Olympics. The Sharks had more Olympians than any NHL team and had five players on the ice in the gold medal final in which Canada edged the United States.
When the San Francisco Chronicle's Ray Ratto asked goaltender Evgeni Nabokov if there were any worries about the team getting back down to NHL business after the Winter Games, Nabokov's replay was less than inspiring: "I hope not." Ratto speculated, probably accurately, that Nabokov was measuring his words.
That can't be comforting to San Jose backers holding tickets on the Sharks to win the Cup at 7-2 (Leroy's), 4-1 (Cal-Neva), or 5-1 (Hilton, Venetian). At Matchbook, there's $21 available at plus-470 and $3,700 at 7-2.
-- Perhaps the most intriguing story in the NHL comes from Hockeytown, where the Detroit Red Wings figure to be a dangerous opponent in the playoffs ... if they can qualify. The Red Wings, plagued by questions about an aging roster and team depth, are in a tight race for the Western Conference's eighth and final playoff spot.
Reflecting their uncertain status, odds on the Red Wings are all over the board.
Offshore, Matchbook has $100 available at 17-1, $600 at 15-1, and ... well, that's it.
In Las Vegas, Detroit can be found at 20-1 (Cal-Neva), 13-1 (Hilton), 12-1 (several properties including MGM-Mirage and Station), 10-1 (Leroy's) and 4-1 (Harrah's joints).
written March 4, 2010 by Jeff Janey
Upon the resumption of the National Hockey League's regular season after the Vancouver Games, I invested in a ticket on the Ottawa Senators to win the Stanley Cup championship.
I like that the Senators had been in top form heading into the break for the Olympics, with 14 victories in their previous 16 games.
I like that they're sitting atop the Northeast Division with 76 points, fourth in the Eastern Conference but in a tight race for second behind the Washington Capitals. The Senators have a reasonable chance of entering the playoffs as one of the top two or three seeds in the conference.
I like how general manager Bryan Murray showed he was serious about pushing for a Stanley Cup run, acquiring defenseman Andy Sutton this week and forward Matt Cullen before the hiatus to beef up the Ottawa roster.
The deals appeared to have inspired confidence among Ottawa's players.
"I like the move," Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson was quoted by The Canadian Press. "I don't know much about (Sutton) except playing against him and he's a hard-nosed player who plays hard, blocks shots, hits and is hard to play against. It's obviously a good addition for us.
"Bryan's given us two players that have been around for a while in Cullen and Sutton to help us and give us more depth, so I definitely like our team."
Most of all, though, I like the odds attached to the Senators' chances of winning the Cup: a healthy 50-1 at the sports book at the Las Vegas Hilton.
While the team's outlook is bright in any case, it was the attractive odds that allowed me to pull the trigger on the future-book ticket.
I felt the price was a bargain relative to Ottawa's standing in the betting marketplace. Elsewhere in Las Vegas, for example, the Senators are 40-1 at the Venetian, 30-1 at all Station Casinos properties, 20-1 at Cal-Neva books, 18-1 at Leroy's, and 16-1 at MGM-Mirage casinos. By way of comparison, for offshore bettors, at Matchbook this morning there was $97 available on Ottawa at 28-1, $445 available at 22-1, at $500 available at 20-1.
The wide disparity in odds underscores the importance of shopping around before placing any sports wager, but particularly one in a future book.
Following is a rundown of the Stanley Cup odds on a handful of other contending teams I have been following (though not firing on to capture the Cup at the betting window) ...
-- The Capitals, who lead not only the Southeast Division but the entire NHL with 92 points, also upgraded their depth and experience for a playoff run by adding forward Scott Walker, center Eric Belanger and defensemen Joe Corvo and Milan Jurcina.
"I don't know if we're the favorite," coach Bruce Boudreau told the Washington Post. "But any time you have the chance to improve your team without giving up a lot, that's a pretty good exchange."
Indeed, Washington is either the Stanley Cup favorite or a close second or third choice, depending on where you shop. The price on Washington to win the Cup is currently as low as 2-1 in Las Vegas, at the Leroy's joints, but it can also be found at 3-1 (MGM-Mirage), 7-2 (Stations), 4-1 (Hilton) and 9-2 (Cal-Neva and the Venetian). Matchbook has more than $1,000 available at plus-375, not as good as the best Vegas has to offer.
Las Vegas odds are current as of this week, and as always are subject to change.
-- The San Jose Sharks, tied with Chicago for the most points in the Western Conference, command short prices in NHL future books but have to prove they can avert delirium tremens brought on by the Olympics. The Sharks had more Olympians than any NHL team and had five players on the ice in the gold medal final in which Canada edged the United States.
When the San Francisco Chronicle's Ray Ratto asked goaltender Evgeni Nabokov if there were any worries about the team getting back down to NHL business after the Winter Games, Nabokov's replay was less than inspiring: "I hope not." Ratto speculated, probably accurately, that Nabokov was measuring his words.
That can't be comforting to San Jose backers holding tickets on the Sharks to win the Cup at 7-2 (Leroy's), 4-1 (Cal-Neva), or 5-1 (Hilton, Venetian). At Matchbook, there's $21 available at plus-470 and $3,700 at 7-2.
-- Perhaps the most intriguing story in the NHL comes from Hockeytown, where the Detroit Red Wings figure to be a dangerous opponent in the playoffs ... if they can qualify. The Red Wings, plagued by questions about an aging roster and team depth, are in a tight race for the Western Conference's eighth and final playoff spot.
Reflecting their uncertain status, odds on the Red Wings are all over the board.
Offshore, Matchbook has $100 available at 17-1, $600 at 15-1, and ... well, that's it.
In Las Vegas, Detroit can be found at 20-1 (Cal-Neva), 13-1 (Hilton), 12-1 (several properties including MGM-Mirage and Station), 10-1 (Leroy's) and 4-1 (Harrah's joints).
