[h=1]Best 2014 Stanley Cup futures bets[/h][h=3]Boston Bruins among best bets to hoist the 2014 Stanley Cup[/h]By Sam Paolini | ESPN Insider
The Stanley Cup playoffs, the most exciting time of the year, are finally upon us. There's nothing in sports quite like a seven-game NHL playoff series. As veteran handicappers know, it's difficult to find value in futures bets at this point, as the sportsbooks have handcuffed us in terms of decent payouts to win the Cup. My opinion would be to play the team that you like to win each series and roll those profits into their next series in order to get a bigger payout if that teams wins the Cup. At that point you can hedge against that bet if you so choose.
But if you decide to place some future-book wagers before the playoffs begin, remember that Stanley Cup winners usually have three things: defense, goaltending and depth. With that premise, I have weeded out a bunch of teams that I don't think can win the Cup, leaving four value bets for the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs.
[h=3]Boston Bruins (plus-370)[/h]
The Bruins are the chalk to win the Stanley Cup, and rightfully so. When you break their team down, there is virtually no weakness. Even their power play, which struggled in the past, finished third in the NHL at 21.7 percent this season. It is "all systems go" for the Bruins, a team with all three of the variables I listed above covered in spades. <OFFER></OFFER>
Tuukka Rask led the NHL in save percentage and is more than capable in net. He has turned into one of the elite goaltenders in the NHL, and this is the perfect time for him to step out of the shadows. Boston's depth is unmatched in the NHL, as its four lines can outplay and grind down every other team in the NHL over a seven-game series. The Bruins lead the NHL in 5-on-5 goal differential, which is when most of the playoff goals will be scored. (In the playoffs the number of penalties gets cut down, so facing an offense and defense that can eat you up 5-on-5, opponents will be playing from behind often.)
Zdeno Chara is a nightmare matchup for any opposing forward, and the Bruins will have home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs -- and the ability to match up Chara against anyone they want. Despite the short price on the Bruins, I believe they are the cream of the crop and the right choice to raise the Cup.
[h=3]Pittsburgh Penguins (plus-750)[/h]
Though Boston is the class of the Eastern Conference, it's wise to place a smaller wager on the Penguins. I think the Penguins offer good value at this price. Pittsburgh will sport a full, healthy lineup headed into the playoffs, as Kris Letang has returned from his stroke and Evgeni Malkin is set to return soon. While the Penguins trail the Bruins ever so slightly on depth up front, they certainly have it on defense with the likes of Brooks Orpik, Paul Martin, Rob Scuderi, Letang and the emergence of Olli Maatta. The key will be goaltending for the Penguins.
I believe Marc-Andre Fleury is among the goalies whom bettors can count on, but it seems he continually needs to prove to people that he can lead a team on a consistent basis. He gets the nod and support from me simply because he has led them to two Stanley Cup appearances and knows what it takes. Team defense has been much improved for Pittsburgh, which will only help Fleury in tight spots. I like the way Pittsburgh matches up with Columbus in the first round, and if Fleury is at his best, the Penguins will be right there with the Bruins in the Eastern Conference finals.
[h=3]Los Angeles Kings (plus-1100) and San Jose Sharks (plus-850)[/h]
In terms of pure value, this is by far the best play on the board. I believe the winner of this first-round series will win the Western Conference. I struggled with picking a winner in the series, but ultimately I think the Kings will get it done with superior goaltending and their play down the stretch. My recommendation is on the Kings at plus-1100, but it's wise to play the Sharks as well as a hedge. I had hoped the teams wouldn't meet this early, but alas we need to play the hand we're dealt.
Both teams have tremendous team defense, with the Kings leading the league in goals against per game (2.05) and the Sharks sitting at fifth in the NHL with 2.35. In the Western Conference, I can find faults and reasons to stay away from every team except these two.
The Anaheim Ducks' goaltending situation has me very concerned; in a potential seven-game series, I just don't want to be backing a goalie like Jonas Hiller or the rookie John Gibson. The same goes for the Minnesota Wild. I love what their team has been doing, but I cannot put my faith in a goalie like Ilya Bryzgalov. Colorado and Dallas, despite their youth and exuberance, just don't have the experience or overall team defense to make the run. St. Louis, which was the class of the Western Conference three weeks ago, has been decimated by injuries and without a healthy lineup isn't deep enough to compete against San Jose or Los Angeles.
Chicago is a huge question mark for me with its injuries. I like the Blackhawks against a lot of the teams in the West, but I would need to see better than the plus-870 I am seeing right now to make a recommendation on them. I am not convinced Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane are playing at 100 percent. The Blackhawks may be worth a look in the second round if they are fully healthy and look like they could play to their potential.
Lastly, I've always been a big supporter in the playoffs of teams that play well against the elite teams in the league. It is one thing to beat up on the likes of Buffalo, Florida, Calgary and Edmonton all season long, but which teams really perform against the best competition? The records of these teams versus the other 15 teams in the playoffs is a telling stat that separates the contenders from the pretenders. The truly elite teams like the Bruins (25-15 against the other teams in the playoffs) and the Sharks (28-14) win against elite competition, giving further validation that they could be the team hoisting the Stanley Cup at the end of the playoffs.
The Stanley Cup playoffs, the most exciting time of the year, are finally upon us. There's nothing in sports quite like a seven-game NHL playoff series. As veteran handicappers know, it's difficult to find value in futures bets at this point, as the sportsbooks have handcuffed us in terms of decent payouts to win the Cup. My opinion would be to play the team that you like to win each series and roll those profits into their next series in order to get a bigger payout if that teams wins the Cup. At that point you can hedge against that bet if you so choose.
But if you decide to place some future-book wagers before the playoffs begin, remember that Stanley Cup winners usually have three things: defense, goaltending and depth. With that premise, I have weeded out a bunch of teams that I don't think can win the Cup, leaving four value bets for the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs.
[h=3]Boston Bruins (plus-370)[/h]
The Bruins are the chalk to win the Stanley Cup, and rightfully so. When you break their team down, there is virtually no weakness. Even their power play, which struggled in the past, finished third in the NHL at 21.7 percent this season. It is "all systems go" for the Bruins, a team with all three of the variables I listed above covered in spades. <OFFER></OFFER>
Tuukka Rask led the NHL in save percentage and is more than capable in net. He has turned into one of the elite goaltenders in the NHL, and this is the perfect time for him to step out of the shadows. Boston's depth is unmatched in the NHL, as its four lines can outplay and grind down every other team in the NHL over a seven-game series. The Bruins lead the NHL in 5-on-5 goal differential, which is when most of the playoff goals will be scored. (In the playoffs the number of penalties gets cut down, so facing an offense and defense that can eat you up 5-on-5, opponents will be playing from behind often.)
Zdeno Chara is a nightmare matchup for any opposing forward, and the Bruins will have home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs -- and the ability to match up Chara against anyone they want. Despite the short price on the Bruins, I believe they are the cream of the crop and the right choice to raise the Cup.
[h=3]Pittsburgh Penguins (plus-750)[/h]
Though Boston is the class of the Eastern Conference, it's wise to place a smaller wager on the Penguins. I think the Penguins offer good value at this price. Pittsburgh will sport a full, healthy lineup headed into the playoffs, as Kris Letang has returned from his stroke and Evgeni Malkin is set to return soon. While the Penguins trail the Bruins ever so slightly on depth up front, they certainly have it on defense with the likes of Brooks Orpik, Paul Martin, Rob Scuderi, Letang and the emergence of Olli Maatta. The key will be goaltending for the Penguins.
I believe Marc-Andre Fleury is among the goalies whom bettors can count on, but it seems he continually needs to prove to people that he can lead a team on a consistent basis. He gets the nod and support from me simply because he has led them to two Stanley Cup appearances and knows what it takes. Team defense has been much improved for Pittsburgh, which will only help Fleury in tight spots. I like the way Pittsburgh matches up with Columbus in the first round, and if Fleury is at his best, the Penguins will be right there with the Bruins in the Eastern Conference finals.
[h=3]Los Angeles Kings (plus-1100) and San Jose Sharks (plus-850)[/h]
In terms of pure value, this is by far the best play on the board. I believe the winner of this first-round series will win the Western Conference. I struggled with picking a winner in the series, but ultimately I think the Kings will get it done with superior goaltending and their play down the stretch. My recommendation is on the Kings at plus-1100, but it's wise to play the Sharks as well as a hedge. I had hoped the teams wouldn't meet this early, but alas we need to play the hand we're dealt.
Both teams have tremendous team defense, with the Kings leading the league in goals against per game (2.05) and the Sharks sitting at fifth in the NHL with 2.35. In the Western Conference, I can find faults and reasons to stay away from every team except these two.
The Anaheim Ducks' goaltending situation has me very concerned; in a potential seven-game series, I just don't want to be backing a goalie like Jonas Hiller or the rookie John Gibson. The same goes for the Minnesota Wild. I love what their team has been doing, but I cannot put my faith in a goalie like Ilya Bryzgalov. Colorado and Dallas, despite their youth and exuberance, just don't have the experience or overall team defense to make the run. St. Louis, which was the class of the Western Conference three weeks ago, has been decimated by injuries and without a healthy lineup isn't deep enough to compete against San Jose or Los Angeles.
Chicago is a huge question mark for me with its injuries. I like the Blackhawks against a lot of the teams in the West, but I would need to see better than the plus-870 I am seeing right now to make a recommendation on them. I am not convinced Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane are playing at 100 percent. The Blackhawks may be worth a look in the second round if they are fully healthy and look like they could play to their potential.
Lastly, I've always been a big supporter in the playoffs of teams that play well against the elite teams in the league. It is one thing to beat up on the likes of Buffalo, Florida, Calgary and Edmonton all season long, but which teams really perform against the best competition? The records of these teams versus the other 15 teams in the playoffs is a telling stat that separates the contenders from the pretenders. The truly elite teams like the Bruins (25-15 against the other teams in the playoffs) and the Sharks (28-14) win against elite competition, giving further validation that they could be the team hoisting the Stanley Cup at the end of the playoffs.
