Morning Coffee: McDavid a resounding favourite to win Conn Smythe Trophy at FanDuel

The stage is set for a clash of titans at Euro 2024.

In one of the most highly anticipated matches of the group stage, Spain and Italy are set for a showdown that could determine first place in Group B.

Regardless of the result in that match, both teams are heavy favourites to advance to the knockout stage after Albania held Croatia to a single point in one of the biggest surprises of the tournament so far.

Albania to draw against Croatia was +350 at FanDuel.

For perspective, Slovakia’s win over Belgium at +550 is the only result with longer odds at Euro 2024 so far.

Setting the stage for today’s soccer slate, Slovenia and Serbia will kick us off this morning.

After that, it’s a showdown between the pre-tournament favourite England and Denmark at noon ET.

Spain and Italy will kick off just after 3 PM ET.

Meanwhile, the Euro 2024 triple-header will be a perfect appetizer for tonight’s main event, as the Canadian men’s national soccer team is set to kick off Copa America with a trial by fire against the pre-tournament favourite Argentina tonight.

Now you understand why it was dubbed the summer of soccer on TSN and CTV.

Canada is +200 as the third choice to qualify for the knockout stage out of Group B at FanDuel.

Canada to earn a draw in tonight’s opener is +470, while an upset win seems almost inconceivable at +1000.

For perspective, Argentina is +175 as the favourite to win the Copa America tournament – a shorter price than Canada’s odds to secure a single point tonight.

Then again, Canada’s last remaining hope to win the Stanley Cup could be found as high as +1000 to win it all less than one week ago at FanDuel.

The Edmonton Oilers are now -120 to force a Game 7 and +290 to win the Stanley Cup at FanDuel this morning.

All the Canadian men’s national soccer team need is a Connor McDavid-like performance from someone.

Should be simple enough, right?

With Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final still more than 24 hours away, Oilers Nation could certainly use a distraction as they continue to countdown to another elimination game in Edmonton on Friday night.

Today’s summer of soccer lineup should help bridge the gap.

I’m here to provide another distraction this morning.

While we saw a small line shift towards the Florida Panthers to win Game 6 at FanDuel, the biggest move in any NHL wager over the past 24 hours came in the Conn Smythe Trophy winner market.

Nobody should be surprised by what happened.

This is the Morning Coffee for Thursday, June 20th, 2024.

McDavid A Resounding Favourite To Win Conn Smythe Trophy At FanDuel

Connor McDavid was the favourite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy at +200 entering the Stanley Cup Final.

His odds to win that award ballooned as high as +1700 at FanDuel when Edmonton fell behind 3-0 to the Florida Panthers in the series.

Then McDavid carried Edmonton to an 8-1 win in Game 4 with a goal and four points.

FanDuel cut McDavid’s odds to win the Conn Smythe Trophy from +1700 to +700.

Then the Oilers’ captain carried his team to another win with another four points in a 5-3 win in Game 5.

FanDuel cut McDavid’s odds to win the Conn Smythe Trophy from +700 to -150.

Once again, McDavid emerged as the favourite to win the award that goes to the player considered the most valuable to his team during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Apparently, that last move wasn’t enough to convince hockey bettors there wasn’t still value betting McDavid.

Since the end of Game 5, a whopping 86 per cent of the money wagered on the Conn Smythe Trophy market at FanDuel has been on McDavid.

No other player has accounted for more than five per cent of the total stakes in that market.

More on that in just a moment.

The prevailing sentiment that McDavid should win the Conn Smythe Trophy regardless of whether Edmonton wins the Stanley Cup led to FanDuel cutting his odds to win the award from -150 to the current price at -220.

Aleksander Barkov remains the second choice to win the Conn Smythe Trophy at +290.

Sergei Bobrovsky, who was once considered an obvious favourite at -420, is now the third choice at +800.

No other player is shorter than +4000.

Again, more on that in just a moment.

With Wayne Gretzky’s record for the most points in a single postseason in sight, and the Oilers on the brink of potentially forcing a Game 7 after trailing 3-0 in the Stanley Cup Final, McDavid is an overwhelmingly popular choice to win the Conn Smythe Trophy at FanDuel.

Those bets on McDavid to win the Conn Smythe Trophy do not get voided if the Panthers go on to win it all.

As if the case for McDavid to win the Conn Smythe Trophy regardless of the series outcome isn’t strong enough based on his individual performance, it should also help that there is no obvious choice for Florida.

Bobrovsky was the obvious favourite through three games.

After conceding nine goals over the past two games and getting pulled in Game 4, he’s now the third choice.

Barkov is the top option for the Panthers this morning, but his defensive play was considered a major factor on his Conn Smythe Trophy resume.

He hasn’t exactly slowed down McDavid the past two games.

What does the betting public think about the best choice to win the Conn Smythe Trophy for the Panthers?

Well, Matthew Tkachuk was +15000 to win that award heading into Game 5.

He’s down to +4000 to win the Conn Smythe Trophy this morning as the most popular pick to win it for Florida.

So, while McDavid is the overwhelming popular choice to win the Conn Smythe Trophy, bettors are willing to take a flyer on Tkachuk at longer odds with no clear top option for the Panthers heading into Game 6.

There’s a good chance that some of those bettors taking Tkachuk already have a McDavid bet in-pocket.

Regardless of what happens next, hockey fans will never forget the way that the best hockey player on the planet was able to elevate his game to another level in the Stanley Cup Final.

We all can’t wait to see what he does next.