The Florida Panthers and the Vegas Golden Knights will face off for the 2023 Stanley Cup Closing beginning on Saturday evening, with certainly one of them capturing their first NHL championship in franchise historical past. Listed here are a few of the wagers we’ve got our eyes on earlier than the sequence begins.
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Odds courtesy Caesars Sportsbook except in any other case famous.
Vegas Golden Knights win sequence 4-2 (+450)
That is my formal choose for the Stanley Cup Closing. I will admit there is perhaps some recency bias, having watched the Golden Knights humble the Dallas Stars twice on the street in successful the convention closing. I believe they seem to be a deeper group than the Panthers. I believe home-ice benefit is essential right here – “The Fortress” goes to be bonkers. However Vegas is even higher away from the The Strip: Their 2.82 anticipated targets towards on the street in all conditions is the most effective within the playoffs. So long as goalie Adin Hill does not flip right into a pumpkin the Closing, I believe the Knights win the Cup. So far as whole video games, 7 of the previous 11 Stanley Cup Closing sequence have completed in six.
Florida Panthers below 16.5 targets (-115)
I believe this can be a first rate hedge. On the one hand you will have the Golden Knights, who is perhaps in a defensive groove proper now. They’ve the third-best anticipated targets towards at 5-on-5 for groups that superior previous the primary spherical. They allowed the fewest high-danger shot makes an attempt within the convention closing. They allowed lower than 16 targets in two of their three playoff sequence. The opposite one was towards Connor McDavid. Now the hedge: What if the Panthers are a wagon? They have been just one purpose over this whole of their five-game win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. They solely wanted 10 targets to brush the Hurricanes.
Underneath 0.5 shutouts within the Stanley Cup Closing (-125)
Adin Hill posted two shutouts within the convention closing. Sergei Bobrovsky had one. Statistically, they’re the 2 finest goalies within the playoffs which have performed a number of rounds: Hill has a .937 save proportion and Bobrovsky has a .935 save proportion. In order that’s the rationale why the percentages for having both group publish a shutout within the Stanley Cup Closing sit at a tantalizing +105. However let’s peel it again somewhat. Hill’s two shutouts have been in video games wherein the Golden Knights blitzed Dallas with three first-period targets. Bobrovsky’s shutout got here towards the sputtering offense of the Hurricanes. The Knights have scored not less than two targets in 14 of 17 video games. The Panthers have scored not less than two targets in 13 of 16 video games. Neither of them have been shut out but. Grabbing the below right here.
Jack Eichel most assists in sequence (+500)
I used to be stunned to see these odds for Eichel, who sits behind Matthew Tkachuk (+450) and Aleksander Barkov (+450). Clearly the books really feel that Bobrovsky goes to make it troublesome for the Golden Knights to attain targets. But when they do, these targets might be generated by Eichel. His line with Ivan Barbashev and Jonathan Marchessault is producing 4.69 targets per 60 minutes at 5-on-5. He leads the group with 12 assists. He has assists in seven of his previous 10 video games as nicely.
Conn Smythe Winner: Matthew Tkachuk (+250) or Jonathan Marchessault (+500)
Sergei Bobrovsky is the favourite for playoff MVP (+200) coming into the Stanley Cup Closing, and logic would dictate if the Panthers win the Cup it’s going to be due to his goaltending. But when Tkachuk can add a pair extra iconic moments to his postseason within the closing, it is perhaps an excessive amount of for the Skilled Hockey Writers Affiliation voters to disregard. He has three time beyond regulation game-winners. One ended the sixth-longest sport in NHL historical past and one other turned their sequence towards the Bruins round. He additionally scored the series-clincher towards Carolina. Issue within the purpose celebrations, swagger and cross-sport movie star, and Tkachuk may win the Conn Smythe if the Panthers win the Cup.
But when the Golden Knights win the Cup, there are three the reason why I like Marchessault. First, he is one purpose and level away from being tied for the group lead in each classes. Second, he is an unique “Golden Misfit” who additionally performed within the 2018 Stanley Cup Closing with them. Lastly, the group that tossed him apart on the 2017 growth draft so the Knights may purchase him? These very Florida Panthers. That is a reasonably compelling narrative if he additionally has the numbers.
Greg Wyshynski is a senior NHL author and you may catch his betting perception on “Each day Wager,” which airs weeknights at 6 on ESPN2.