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Four years removed from the Golden Knights’ magical tally to the Stanley Cup Final successful their inaugural season, bettors are banking connected the enlargement Seattle Kraken to repetition the feat.
“Everybody thinks lightning tin onslaught doubly with an enlargement team,” MGM Resorts manager of trading Jeff Stoneback said.
Las Vegas sportsbooks released the Kraken successful June astatine likelihood arsenic precocious arsenic 200-1 to triumph the Stanley Cup earlier yet dropping them to 50-1.
Caesars Sportsbook is connected the hook for $1 million-plus if Seattle wins the title, and BetMGM has a mid-six-figure liability connected the Kraken, who person the astir tickets written connected them astatine some books to hoist the Cup.
“The Kraken is our biggest liability, and it’s astir apt due to the fact that of however the Knights did successful their inaugural season. People deliberation they tin travel suit,” Caesars vice president of trading Craig Mucklow said. “But I can’t spot that happening. No offense, but judging by the players the Kraken picked successful the enlargement draft, it’s astir similar they privation to vessel this year. We’re blessed to laic the Kraken.”
The Knights were arsenic precocious arsenic 500-1 to triumph the Cup successful 2017-18, erstwhile they mislaid the Stanley Cup Final successful 5 games to the Washington Capitals. They’re the 6-1 co-favorites with Colorado astatine Caesars to triumph the Stanley Cup and are the +750 2nd prime astatine Circa Sports down the Avalanche.
“We’re a decent victor with the Knights,” Mucklow said. “If the Knights triumph the Cup, we’re going to beryllium happy.”
The Knights pb the mode successful Stanley Cup tickets astatine Station Casinos but are 4th astatine BetMGM and sixth astatine the Westgate SuperBook, wherever they’re the 5-1 co-favorites with Colorado.
“They’re not truly charismatic astatine 5-1,” SuperBook vice president Jay Kornegay said. “People betting aboriginal futures are taking shots connected immoderate of the longer numbers for debased risk, precocious reward.”
The Knights are -165 astatine BetMGM to triumph the Pacific Division, and the Avalanche are -210 astatine Caesars to triumph the Central Division.
Colorado is the +216 favourite astatine Circa Sports to triumph the Western Conference, and the Knights, who mislaid successful the Stanley Cup semifinals past season, are +310.
“The Knights should beryllium capable to prey connected their division, and I deliberation they’re going to beryllium close determination astatine the extremity again,” Kornegay said. “I inactive judge it’s going to travel down to the Avalanche and Knights successful the West.”
The biggest question people is successful net, wherever Robin Lehner volition beryllium the wide starter aft splitting clip the past 2 seasons with Marc-Andre Fleury, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, who was traded to the Blackhawks.
“Not that Lehner can’t triumph it each and beryllium the guy,” Red Rock Resort sportsbook manager Chuck Esposito said. “But they mislaid the bosom and psyche of that squad successful Fleury, and determination volition beryllium an added magnitude of unit connected Lehner due to the fact that of that to measurement up and beryllium the guy.”
While the Knights and Avs are the lone teams with likelihood of little than 11-1 to triumph the West, determination are 7 teams with likelihood of 10-1 oregon little to triumph the Eastern Conference.
The Lightning, who did onslaught doubly successful winning back-to-back Stanley Cups, are the summons person and 8-1 3rd prime astatine the SuperBook to triumph their 3rd consecutive NHL title. Tampa Bay is the +350 favourite to triumph the East, followed by the Maple Leafs (6-1), Bruins (7-1) and Islanders, Flyers, Panthers and Hurricanes astatine 10-1.
The Islanders, 20-1 to triumph the Cup, are 1 of the largest liabilities astatine BetMGM and the SuperBook.
“The Islanders are getting a batch of love,” Kornegay said. “There are truthful galore bully teams successful the East, but successful the West, there’s specified a large spread betwixt the apical teams and the remainder of the field.”
The Knights person a regular-season constituent full of 105½.
Contact newsman Todd Dewey astatine tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 connected Twitter.
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