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Morning Coffee: Maple Leafs the new Stanley Cup favourite at FanDuel
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Expectations were sky high for the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Boston Bruins after they set the all-time NHL record for wins and points in a single regular season.
Unfortunately for anyone who bet on the Bruins to win it all, they couldn’t even make it out of the opening round.
Boston was -350 to win its first-round series against the Florida Panthers at FanDuel.
After taking a 3-1 series lead, the Bruins’ odds to advance shifted all the way to -3500. Florida was +1280 to win the series at FanDuel down 3-1.
There weren’t many people who expected Matthew Tkachuk and the Panthers to rally with three straight wins as an underdog, including two on the road in Boston, to win the series 4-3.
But that’s exactly what happened next.
For the second time in the past four years, the team that tied or set the NHL single-season wins record lost in the first round.
At +275 to win the series, it was the 11th-biggest Stanley Cup Playoff series upset over the past two decades and the 14th-biggest series upset so far this century.
Meanwhile, just hours after Florida completed its stunning upset of the Bruins, the Seattle Kraken knocked out the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche with a 2-1 win in Game 7.
Seattle was +225 to win that series entering Game 1.
At the start of the playoffs, Boston and Colorado were the top two choices to win the Stanley Cup at FanDuel.
After the Bruins and Avalanche were both knocked out in the first round, there is a new favourite to win the Stanley Cup at FanDuel entering the second round.
This is the Morning Coffee for Monday May 1, 2023.
Maple Leafs the new Stanley Cup favourite at FanDuel
The Toronto Maple Leafs were 9-to-1 to win the Stanley Cup at FanDuel at the start of the playoffs.
After reaching the second round for the first time since 2004, the Maple Leafs are now the betting favourite to win it all at +350.
A $100 bet on Toronto to win it all would pay $350 if they end the drought with their first Stanley Cup win since 1967.
Could you imagine the reaction if it happens?
The Maple Leafs opened -168 to win their second-round series versus Florida at FanDuel.
That’s a very similar price to the first round when they were listed at -160 to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Based on the reporting done by our very own Tekeyah Singh in Toronto on Saturday night, Maple Leafs fans are happy with the matchup.
The Panthers are +136 to win the series, which is a significantly shorter price than their odds to beat the Bruins in the opening round.
It will be very interesting to see how those teams match up against one another in the series.
Meanwhile in the Western Conference, the Edmonton Oilers are now the favourite to reach the Stanley Cup final and the second choice to win it all after Seattle eliminated Colorado.
Edmonton has moved from 8-to-1 to win it all at the start of the playoffs to +400 to win the Stanley Cup at FanDuel this morning.
Is this the year the Stanley Cup returns to Canada?
With the Maple Leafs and Oilers listed as the top two choices to win it all at FanDuel, there’s certainly plenty of reason for optimism entering the second round.
Curry scores 50 to send Warriors to second round
For a moment, it seemed like Game 7 between the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings could have gone either way on Sunday.
That was before Stephen Curry took over for the defending champs.
Curry set the all-time NBA record for the most points in a Game 7 with 50 in a 120-100 win in Sacramento.
He went 20-of-38 from the field in the victory, including 7-of-18 from beyond the arc.
Curry and the Warriors will meet LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round.
Golden State, which is now the second choice to win the NBA title at +500 at FanDuel, is -158 to win its series against Los Angeles.
The Lakers are +134 to upset the Warriors and reach the Western Conference Final.
A bet on the Rangers to close it out tonight
For the second year in a row, I’ll be in the green when it comes to my FanDuel Best Bets for the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Maple Leafs, Oilers, and Dallas Stars each took care of business for me in the opening round.
Unfortunately, it won’t be a clean sweep as the Kraken upset the Avalanche.
Next up, I need the New York Rangers to beat the New Jersey Devils tonight to go 4-1 with my futures bets.
After dropping three in a row, New York responded with a 5-2 win in Game 6 on Saturday night.
Now they head back to New Jersey for a winner-take-all showdown.
The underdog has won each of the first two Game 7s in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I’m hoping that trend continues tonight.
I like the Rangers to win at -102 as my FanDuel Best Bet for Monday night.