BC gamblers are optimistic a Canadian team will win the Stanley Cup in 2025.
According to BC Lottery Corporation Spokesperson Matt Lee, the majority of the money wagered is being placed on the Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets.
“What we are seeing is the majority bettors wagering on the Edmonton Oilers and the Winnipeg Jets to win it all. They are combining for about one in five bets being placed on PlayNow and in total, half the bets for the Stanley Cup winner are on a Canadian team.”
The other three Canadian teams that qualified for the postseason are the Montreal Canadians, Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators.
The Dallas Stars (7.00) are PlayNow’s betting favourite to win the Cup, while the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers (7.50) are the second-best bet followed by the Colorado Avalanche (9.00), Carolina Hurricanes (9.00), and Vegas Golden Knights (9.00).
The Stars are still viewed favourably by bettors despite some late-season struggles.
“Over the last two weeks, what we have seen is a Dallas Stars team that has been fighting both injuries and a couple losses towards the end of the regular season so they are certainly not going into the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the hot team,” added Lee.
Lee mentioned while playoffs will get quite a bit of action among gamblers, the buzz won’t be quite the same with the Vancouver Canucks out of the picture.
“We are probably dialing our expectations back (when it comes to wagering volume) but when you have five Canadian teams I think we will see some very good popularity for betting on the Stanley Cup this year.”
Bettors who want to wager on a Canadian team to win it all can do so on PlayNow at odds of 3.37 ($10 pays $33.70 if successful), versus 1.29 for a U.S.-based team ($10 pays $12.90).
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