Morning Coffee: Stanley Cup Final Game 7 the most heavily bet NHL game ever

The Stanley Cup drought continues for Canada.

The Florida Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final on home ice Monday night to clinch the first championship in franchise history.

Per FanDuel’s odds for the exact series outcome, Florida in seven was considered the most likely result at +410 prior to Game 1.

The Panthers were +2000 to win the Stanley Cup at the start of the regular season and +700 as the second choice to win it all at the start of the playoffs.

Florida was -128 to win it all entering Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Anyone who tailed my FanDuel Best Bet for the series with the Panthers to win the Stanley Cup cashed that wager without a sweat.

Well, maybe not, but a win is a win.

The betting favourite to win the series has gone on to win the Stanley Cup five years in a row.

In fact, the betting favourites are a combined 11-2 in the Stanley Cup Final over the past 13 seasons and 18-4 over the last 22 seasons.

While anyone who bet Florida to win the Stanley Cup cashed their tickets last night, there were also plenty of opportunities for those who bet the Oilers at long odds when they trailed 1-0, 2-0, or 3-0 in the series to hedge their bets at FanDuel.

Panthers in seven was considered the most likely exact Stanley Cup Final outcome at FanDuel prior to Game 1.

Nevertheless, no one could have foreseen the convoluted path that led us to that result, with plenty of memorable twists and turns throughout what ultimately became an epic series.

In the end, we ended up with what turned out to be the most bet NHL game in FanDuel’s history last night.

This is the Morning Coffee for Tuesday, June 25, 2024.

Stanley Cup Final Game 7 the most heavily bet NHL game ever

Panthers in seven might have been the most likely exact series outcome according to FanDuel’s odds.

Nevertheless, even those who placed a wager on Florida to win in seven likely could not have imagined the series playing out the way that it did.

The Panthers outscored the Oilers a combined 11-4 as they took a 3-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final.

At the time, Edmonton could be found as high as +1700 to win it all at FanDuel.

At that point, most of the people I talked to agreed that the Stanley Cup Final would be over in five or six games.

Then the Oilers outscored Florida a combined 18-5 while storming back to tie the series at 3-3.

Edmonton became the first NHL team since the 1945 Detroit Red Wings to force a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Final after trailing 3-0 in the series.

At that point, most of the people I talked to agreed that the Oilers had all the momentum and would be a tough out in the finale.

That sentiment was reflected in the betting markets.

Edmonton was a popular pick to win Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final at FanDuel with 73 per cent of the money in the moneyline market.

That support led to the Panthers dropping from a small favourite to win Game 7 at -120 to a pick’em at -113.

The closing number represented the shortest home price for a team in a Stanley Cup Final Game 7 in 37 years.

Per the FanDuel traders, Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final was the most bet NHL game in the company’s history. In fact, it wasn’t particularly close.

While the Oilers were a popular pick to win Game 7, Florida ultimately prevailed with the 2-1 win to clinch the first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

With the win, the Panthers defied several notable trends.

Florida won the Stanley Cup despite a minus-five goal differential in the series.

That is the worst goal differential ever by the winner of the Stanley Cup Final.

Teams that were outscored in the Stanley Cup Final were a combined 2-14 dating back to 2007-08.

Meanwhile, Edmonton was previously 5-0 when facing elimination this postseason and road teams had won three straight Game 7s.

While the Panthers deviated from some notable trends, the run to the under in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final continued.

Last night’s contest was the 15th straight Stanley Cup Final Game 7 that stayed under 5.5 goals.

Game 7 unders went a combined 4-0 this postseason.

Connor McDavid won the Conn Smythe Trophy after recording 42 points – the fourth-most ever in a single postseason.

Despite not registering a single point in Games 6 or 7, McDavid was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP.

McDavid is the sixth player and second skater ever to win the Conn Smythe Trophy for a losing team.

Edmonton is the seventh Canadian team to lose in the Stanley Cup Final since the Montreal Canadiens won it all in 1993.

It’s been 30 seasons since a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup.

The previous record for the longest drought for a Canadian team was six years.

While hockey fans in Edmonton will be disappointed with the result, there’s no doubt that their team will have the opportunity to reload this offseason with a chance to contend for the Stanley Cup again next year.

There’s plenty of reasons for optimism for Oilers’ fans.

For now, the drought continues for Canada.