Who Will Win the NHL Championship (the Canadian Perspective)
When it comes to betting on futures, do Canadian betting websites offer better values than American and international markets? Let's examine Spreads.ca vs. some other top sports betting sites on the NHL odds.
In the previous article, we examined some differences on NBA FUTURES ODDS from a Canadian perspective.
A reminder – futures bets mean wagering on an upcoming outcome, usually several weeks or months ahead.
One of the most popular types of futures bets is wagering on which team will win the championship. Now at the midseason mark of the 2022-23 NHL regular season, odds range from roughly +550 on the favourite.....to +10,001 on the "longest" longshots.
What we want to know is – is it wise to bet some teams at Canadian-based betting websites like Spreads.ca and others at American-based and international sports gambling sites? Is there an inherent bias based on geography? Since Canada has 7 NHL teams, our first instinct is to think and say – yes.
Let's assume you have multiple betting options – should you shop around and try to find the best number? Obviously, the answer to this final question is – yes.
Let's examine the ODDS TO WIN THE NHL CHAMPIONSHIP. Keep in mind that wagering $1 returns the following prices:
SPREADS.CA – NHL CHAMPIONSHIP ODDS
No doubt, the Boston Bruins are a beast right now. They're 37-5-4 with a 14-point lead over any other NHL team. Many say the Bruins look unbeatable.
Once the playoffs begin, it's a new season. We'll see about the "unbeatable" tag a few months from now.
So, what are the odds for them to win the Stanley Cup this season? Spreads.ca lists Boston at 5.50 (+450). Comparatively, we see prices ranging from +375 to +500 at betting sites elsewhere. So, the Spreads.ca numbers are right there in the middle and are consistent with the overall betting market.
What about the other good teams? The first five favourites are pretty much the same odds (within +/-100).
Exception: Where we see a huge discrepancy is on the Las Vegas Golden Knights. A consensus of American-based betting websites have the Golden Knights at only +900. However, Spreads.ca offers the Golden Knights at $1300. This is an enormous disparity (+400 more in the payout), which any NHL bettor should consider. Either this team is a horrible bet at U.S. sites, or they're a great value at Spreads.ca. Take your pick.
What about Canadian teams? The top contenders are the Toronto Maple Leafs (the 4th overall betting choice) and the Edmonton Oilers (the 7th overall betting choice). Toronto is listed about the same everywhere we looked – getting roughly 10-1 odds to win the Stanley Cup. So, there's no value betting them here in Canada, or elsewhere. That's not the case with Edmonton, however, The Oilers are just 15.00 (14-1) odds at Spreads.ca. But the consensus of U.S.-based sites don't respect the Oilers nearly as much. Odds are in the 19-1 and 20-1 range.
What this means is – Spreads.ca may have some bias towards non-Ontario teams. Calgary is 24,00 (+2300) elsewhere but is only 21.00 (+2000) at Spreads.ca. That's not the case with Winnipeg, however. The Jets 29.00 (+2800) are a much better bet at Spreads.ca than at most American betting sites, where the consensus is currently 24.00 (+2300).
So, the Golden Knights and Jets are clearly the best market values at Spreads.ca at the moment.
