The 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs are set to begin next week, with the Boston Bruins looking to put a punctuation mark on their historic season by winning the title. Bettors have been lining up their favorite plays over the course of the week, and sure enough, Bruins futures are a popular play for public bettors.
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2023 Stanley Cup Bets: Bruins & Oilers Becoming Popular Plays
The Bruins enter the playoffs after a dominant 65-12-5 season, winning eight straight games heading into their first round series against the Florida Panthers. The Bruins (+325) are the favorites to win the Stanley Cup and bettors have been flocking to get in on the action.
Per BetMGM sports trader Christian Cipollini, the Bruins are now the sportsbook’s biggest liability, with the Rangers having the second-most futures placed.
“It took a long long time for the public to catch on to the Bruins. Around Jan. 1, they were still a decent winner for the book,” Cipollini said to Vegas Insider. “Into February, that started to change. The Bruins are now our biggest liability by a wide margin.”
Sports betting became legalized in Massachusetts to begin the 2023 new year, leading to many Bostonians picking up a futures ticket on their favorite team to hoist the cup.
“I think that really played a role. Before the Massachusetts launch, the Bruins were a great outcome,” Cipollini said, noting an outpouring of Bruins support from the Boston betting market. “The Bruins are by far our biggest root-against. They make up nearly all of the liability.”
The Bruins action makes sense. After all, they have been the best team in hockey all season long and no one would be surprised if they wind up being in the last team standing. But the Rangers action is interesting.
New York went all-in on their season when acquiring Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko at the Trade Deadline, and finished third in the Metropolitan Division (47-22-14). They will go on the road to begin their series against a young, exciting New Jersey Devils team, in what is bound to be a great watch from start to finish.
As it stands, the Rangers (+100) are a slight series underdog to get past the Devils and keep their Stanley Cup hopes alive. But they certainly have the star power to make a deep run.
The Stanley Cup bets are likely to continue pouring in throughout the postseason. But the early action shows Bruins & Rangers futures are leading the way for now. We’ll continue to track how the dynamic changes over the course of the next couple of months.
Bettors should check out OddsShopper tools throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs to find the best value!
