Sportsbooks show Canadiens more respect for Stanley Cup Final

The Montreal Canadiens are still clear underdogs in the Stanley Cup Final, but their upset of the Golden Knights has slashed their prices for the title round.

The defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning are -275 favorites at the Westgate to win their second straight title. The Canadiens are +235. Game 1 is Monday in Tampa, Florida.

That’s a far cry from the -500 the Golden Knights had against Montreal (+400) before the start of the semifinal round. The Canadiens were underdogs in every game but eliminated Vegas in six.

Tampa Bay was power-rated slightly below the Knights and Colorado Avalanche during the regular season, but the Cup Final price reflects an adjustment on Montreal, Westgate sportsbook vice president of risk Jeff Sherman said.

“When you knock off a team like that (Vegas), it brings the price closer,” he said.

Sherman said he wouldn’t be surprised to see public support for the Canadiens on a game-by-game basis after fans watched Montreal cash against Vegas at big prices.

The Lightning are -205 favorites for Game 1 (Canadiens +185). The Knights were favorites in the -270 to -250 range for the first two games against Montreal.

The key question for the series is whether Montreal’s defense can clamp down on Tampa Bay’s offense the way it did to the Knights, Sherman said.

“Vegas was not even getting that many shots on (goaltender Carey) Price,” Sherman said.

Handicapper Alex B. Smith (@axsmithsports) said he thinks the Lightning will eventually break through the Canadiens’ defense and win in six games (4-1 at BetMGM).

“This is the best offense the Habs have seen so far,” he said. “The first few games will be close, but Tampa will take over starting in Game 5.”

Rather than play the series price, Smith said he was looking at the prop on the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy, given to the MVP of the postseason.

Only two players can realistically win the award for the Lightning, goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and center Brayden Point, Smith said. Vasilevskiy was available Sunday as high as +350 at William Hill, and Point was 5-1 at the Westgate. Taking both creates a more profitable scenario than laying -275 on the series price, Smith said.

Likewise, only Price can win the Conn Smythe if Montreal wins, Smith said, and he was available at 3-1 on Sunday at the Westgate, higher than the series price.

Contact Jim Barnes at jbarnes@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0277. Follow @JimBarnesLV on Twitter.