With the new round cemented and ready to go, fans of each team are already speculating about how the rounds are going to look. The odds have just been released on moneypuck, and it's looking very good for the Oilers.
Based on previous play, the Oilers are sitting as pretty convincing cup favourites out of all 4 teams. The Oilers have a 57% chance to beat the Stars in the conference finals, which is pretty great considering that the Stars are the first seed in the Central. The Oilers also sit at a 32.5% chance to win the cup, compared to the runner-up Rangers at 27.%.
Because of the odds given for the cup finals, it seems like the Stars may actually be the hardest team left to play statistically. This makes a lot of sense since a team like the Stars are constructed to counter a team like the Oilers.
Despite the posted statistical odds from moneypuck, sports books have a very different idea of how things might go down. Combined sports book odds put the Panthers as cup favourites, with the Rangers as biggest underdogs.
No matter what the odds say, hockey is played on the ice and not on paper. The playoffs are about which team has the most grit and heart, and this year's Oilers have exemplified both of those things. The Oilers are not a team that anyone wants to face and will continue to play as hard as they have all season.
POLL | ||
Whose odds are the most surprising? | ||
Oilers being cup favourites | 127 | 49 % |
Stars being underdogs against Oilers | 56 | 21.6 % |
Panthers being the worst team remaining | 42 | 16.2 % |
President's trophy Rangers being so low | 34 | 13.1 % |
List of polls |