Morning Coffee: A FanDuel Best Bet to consider for the Stanley Cup Final
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The Dallas Mavericks were a popular pick to win Game 1 of the NBA Finals and the championship at FanDuel.
It’s safe to say that the majority of FanDuel bettors weren’t happy with last night’s result.
The Boston Celtics led by as many as 29 points and cruised to a 107-89 win over Dallas to push their win streak to eight in a row.
Per the FanDuel traders, 90 per cent of the bets are on the Mavericks to win the title.
Eighty-six per cent of the bets were on Dallas to win Game 1.
The Celtics covered easily as a 6.5-point favourite.
With the victory for Boston, NBA Finals Game 1 favourites improved to 18-2 straight up and 17-3 against the spread dating back to 2005.
The Celtics to win the NBA Championship went from -225 to -420 at FanDuel following last night’s blowout win.
The Mavericks’ odds to win the title ballooned all the way from +188 to +330.
If you were among the 14 per cent of FanDuel bettors that wagered on Boston to win Game 1, it was never even a sweat as the Celtics won by at least 15 points for the seventh time this postseason.
If you were among those that tailed my FanDuel Best Bet for Game 1, it was never even a sweat as we cashed in the third quarter.
Shout-out to Luka Doncic and P.J. Washington.
Turning the page this morning, it’s time to lock in on the Stanley Cup Final as we are just over 24 hours away from Game 1.
This is the Morning Coffee for Friday, June 7, 2024.
A FanDuel Best Bet to consider for the Stanley Cup Final
Five days after their team clinched a Stanley Cup Final berth, it’s the final countdown for Edmonton Oilers fans as they get set for Game 1 in Florida on Saturday night.
The bad news for Oilers Nation is that the Panthers are a popular pick to win the Stanley Cup at FanDuel with 87 per cent of the money on Florida to win it all.
The good news is that there was a similar sentiment around the Mavericks among FanDuel bettors entering Game 1 of the NBA Finals, and it didn’t work out for them in the series opener.
Florida to win the Stanley Cup has shifted from -126 to the current price at -134 over the past five days. The Panthers to win Game 1 and the series is +146.
Edmonton to win the Stanley Cup has moved from +105 to +112. The Oilers to win Game 1 and the series is +230.
Based on FanDuel’s series correct score odds, the most likely outcome is Florida to win in seven games at +410.
The series to go seven games is +194.
Meanwhile, Connor McDavid remains the favourite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy at +200 at FanDuel.
Aleksander Barkov (+380), Sergei Bobrovsky (+400), Matthew Tkachuk (+600), Evan Bouchard (+1000), and Leon Draisaitl (+1000) round out the top choices in the Conn Smythe Trophy Winner market.
Per the FanDuel traders, Tkachuk has been the most popular bet to win the Conn Smythe Trophy since the Stanley Cup Final match-up was set on Sunday night.
I wrote about it in my column earlier this week.
Florida is -137 to win Game 1 on home ice. Edmonton is +114 to win the series opener on the road.
Per the FanDuel traders, 57 per cent of the bets are on the Oilers to win Game 1. However, 66 per cent of the stakes are on the Panthers.
That means that while Edmonton is the more popular pick in terms of the number of bets on Game 1, there is currently more money wagered on Florida to win the series opener at FanDuel.
As a hockey fan, I can’t wait for the puck to drop on Game 1. I can only imagine what Oilers Nation is feeling right now.
I don’t mean to disappoint the hockey fans in Edmonton, but my FanDuel Best Bet for the series is the Panthers to win the Stanley Cup Final.
Florida is the sixth team in the expansion era to reach the Stanley Cup Final the year after losing in the Final. Each of the previous two went on to win the Stanley Cup.
After suffocating the Presidents’ Trophy-winning New York Rangers with a complete performance in the Eastern Conference Final, I’m convinced that the Panthers have the top-tier talent, depth, physicality and goaltending to be the toughest matchup the Oilers have faced by far.
I locked in Florida to win the series at -128 as my FanDuel Best Bet for the Stanley Cup Final.
As for Game 1, I believe both teams will come out flying in an ideal spot for a Same Game Parlay built around shots on goal props.
I can build a Same Game Parlay with Zach Hyman to register 3 or more shots on goal, McDavid to register 2 or more shots on goal, and Florida +2.5 on the alt puck line this morning at -104 odds.
I might consider adding Tkachuk 2 or more shots on goal to push this SGP to +130.
However, in terms of a FanDuel Best Bet for Game 1, I’ll stick with Hyman 3 or more SOG, McDavid 2 or more SOG, and the Panthers +2.5 on the alt puck line at -104.
Have a great weekend, everyone!