The Vegas Golden Knights stormed the gates in Game 1 and easily defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-1. For many, that win seems like ages ago as the Habs scored two in a row, including Friday’s overtime thriller. And with that, my friends, the odds have changed. Drastically.
When it comes to futures betting, Montreal is away from +1100 after game 1 until +800 and can now be found on some betting sites as high as +450 to lift the holy grail of hockey. No wager is ever a sure thing, but if you think they can continue to defy the odds, you’ll need to deposit while the odds are still decent.
Understanding Montreal’s Future Understanding
Betting on hockey futures is usually a long and fairly boring road. You get in at the beginning of the year because everyone is excited and can only wait. You will then have to endure losing skids, frequent odds changes, and possibly even loss of cash. Betting on the futures now, however, is a whole different ball game.
If you jump in now, you will only have a few weeks to wait for a possible withdrawal. It is a very good thing. The only disadvantage is that the closer we get to the final series and games, the more the chances of winning decrease and the payouts decrease accordingly. In other words, if there was ever a time to bet on hockey futures, it was basically as soon as possible.
Take the Tampa Bay Lightning, for example. They came as the reigning champions this season and the odds on the favorite to repeat in 2021. With that, their odds, before the first puck ever hit this season, were +750. Now they are currently listed as +125 and despite a series of equal points with the Islanders, they are still the top dogs.
So there is a prime example of how things can change over the course of the year, and how the payouts get worse the closer we get to the finals. Now let’s get back to ‘Oui the North’. The Habs lead in the series with 2: 1 and still pay +112 to win the conference. Of course, this isn’t a big payday, but if you can make another profit, it’s probably the best one you will find.
By now, you should have a better understanding of how futures work. So let’s talk about trends and what the Habs look like in game four and beyond.
The trend curve
One of the best things about sports betting is reading the trends. If you win, you will feel like a brilliant scientist. If you lose you will question all about life, but let’s not go that route. Let’s talk about what makes those stubborn habits tick and how the betting world predicts their ultimate path to the conference.
At the time of this writing, the vast majority of bettors are on Vegas’ side. Sorry Montreal. The Vegas Golden Knights receive 69 percent of all bets versus 31 percent of the Habs. This will of course make you question your own prediction, but it also opens the door to opportunities.
The more money thrown into Vegas is a good thing as the odds for Montreal will increase to attract the bettors more. In this case, waiting until just before the puck is dropped to place your batter can be the perfect strategy.
Here’s a little food for thought:
Vegas – the favorites listed – ride a 1-6 losing skid with Montreal in their last seven tilts. The underdog has also won a shocking six of the last seven encounters between these two and finally, when you think of over-under betting, the over has hit in five of the last eight VGK-MTL competitions.
Good luck!
