They said professional sports would never work in Las Vegas.
They were wrong.
The Vegas Golden Knights have skated all over that theory since their inception in 2017. The Knights stunned the hockey world in 2017-18 by advancing all the way to the Stanley Cup Final behind a remarkable goalie run by Marc-Andre Fleury. The following year, they lost a rugged first round series against the San Jose Sharks in seven games – a series that could’ve gone either way.
Dare I say that this year’s Golden Knights team is their best one yet.[[ad:athena]]
There’s really not one weakness with this hockey club. They roll four lines, are very responsible in their own end, have a good power play and penalty kill, and have two rock solid goalies in Fleury and Robin Lehner. It’s a truly deep and complete team.
A team that has grown together. A team that learned how to win together. A team that experienced tough playoff defeats together.
The best team doesn’t always lift Lord Stanley, but I like my chances.
Vegas needs three more wins against Vancouver before a potential Western Conference Final matchup against either Colorado or Dallas. Oddsmakers aren’t too worried about the Knights’ game two loss to the Canucks. Even with the series tied 1-1, one Vegas shop is still dealing the Knights -400 to advance. That implies 80 percent probability. Obviously, there’s a good chunk of local liability built into that price.
Move outside of Vegas and you still see rather high prices on VGK to advance against the Canucks. -305 at DraftKings. -310 at FanDuel. -315 at PointsBet.
The odds are against Vancouver everywhere you look.
I exchanged texts with a few bookmakers who said the Knights would be at least -200 in a potential series with either team in next round. So -300 or higher to finish off this round, then -200 or higher next round. Then the Stanley Cup Final if they take care of business.
So why don’t we grab them now at a plus price to win the whole thing? We could fire a Golden Knights future and have them in our back pocket as an underdog against whoever comes out of the East.
I’m seeing the Knights anywhere from +245 to +265 to win it all at most Vegas sportsbooks. The price naturally rises everywhere else. There are several +285 options in the American markets. Always shop around!
Let’s pull it. We could always get creative if they make it to the final round.
Play on the Golden Knights +285 to win the Stanley Cup.
