While we here at Jets White Out aren’t advocating for gambling, it is fun to go in and look at the betting odds and see what chance Vegas gives your team to win it all.
The Winnipeg Jets were one of the top teams in the NHL last season, so it’s no surprise to see them with good odds to win the Stanley Cup.
So, if you wanted to put some money on a dark horse, I wouldn’t consider the Jets your best bet. Sorry for the pun. Bovada currently has the Jets with the third best shot at winning the Cup, behind the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Leafs take a big jump due to their addition of John Tavares, obviously, but they have a strong, young core. The Lighting are a team with unreal talent, and I’m genuinely surprised they haven’t won the whole thing yet. Hey man, winning is hard.
Keep in mind these odds aren’t solely based on talent level. Vegas incorporates a bit of “media heat” into their odds. So, the Leafs play in a huge media market, right? And they’ve generated a ton of buzz by adding Tavares.
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They’re a hot ticket item, right now. A high ticket attraction, if you will. How can Vegas combat this? Well, by boosting their odds. More people are betting for them, so if they give them the best odds, they stand to lose less money should they actually win.
The Jets do not have a huge media following or splashy off-season additions. The fact that they’re in sole possession of third is cool. It doesn’t really mean anything, but it’s cool to see them ahead of teams like Washington or Nashville.
Detroit has by far the worst odds, almost double anyone else’s. It’s embarrassing. Are they really that bad?
But what about the regular season standings odds?
I know what you’re asking. I actually don’t, because I didn’t know this was a thing. I mean, I had assumed it existed, but, you know what I mean. It’s like betting on a horse to place instead of win.
Anyway, CBS released their over/under for each team’s point total at the end of the season. This is more fun to me. I plan on keeping up with it through the end of the season to see who beats their projection.
The Winnipeg Jets have their O/U set at 106.5, tied with, surprise, surprise, the Leafs for second behind Tampa (noticing a trend, are we?).
Those three, along with Boston, Pittsburgh and Nashville, are the only six teams with O/Us over 100. I’ll take the over on the Jets, mark it down. I don’t want to give away too much, since I’ll have a full prediction post at some point with the staff.
The Senators are at the bottom with 71.5. The Rangers follow at 75.5, along with the Red Wings. Buffalo at 79.5? Give me the Rangers over them, thanks. Maybe Detroit, too. Maybe even the dumpster-fire Senators. I do not trust Buffalo, ever.
Either way, the main takeaway here is that the Jets are good and the Red Wings are absolutely not. Forgive me if I do not shed a tear.