Despite big moves ahead of the deadline, the Avalanche and Golden Knights should be monitored before gambling a future bet on
As we approach the trade deadline, we look at bets we can take for the last quarter of the season that are at a great value as of today. Whether it's a team to win Lord Stanley or someone to bring home a trophy, there is a ton of value out on the sportsbooks that people should be taking advantage of before the odds change. Here are our current best value picks that you should take before time runs out. We will look at futures to invest in, monitor and avoid at all costs.
All betting lines are from Bet365 and are subject to change. Please gamble responsibly.
Monitor: Colorado Avalanche to win Stanley Cup (+950), Vegas Golden Knights to win Stanley Cup (+1400)
It’s hard not to see the exciting moves these two made and not want to hope on the bandwagon right away. These two have a glaring issue with their road efficiency that needs to be mentioned before lofting a hefty investment.
They certainly both made impactful moves near the deadline with the Golden Knights acquiring top pairing defenseman Noah Hanifin from Calgary and top-six forward Anthony Mantha from Washington, while the Avs acquired once-highly touted prospect Casey Mittelstadt from Buffalo and elite defenseman Sean Walker from Philadelphia.
These moves could massively improve their new rosters, who both struggle to win on the road this season. The Avalanche and Golden Knights are hard to beat in their own buildings with both teams inside the top 12 for best home record and top seven in fewest goals against on average at home. They both see a total shift in play on the road however, with the two ranking outside the top 15 in road record and bottom 11 in fewest goals per road game on average.
The Panthers caught fire and never looked back last playoffs, which made their 18th-ranked road record and 25th-ranked road defense not matter after that point but it was a total anomaly compared to the last six Stanley Cup Finals, where a conference champion has averaged a ninth-ranked placement in road record or roughly a 12th-ranked road defense.
With their added reinforcements, if they can jump into at least one of these brackets in the next few weeks, then we can make a further sound investment but I wouldn't advise to place your bets just yet.