The Tampa Bay Lightning have an opportunity to close out their third consecutive postseason series in just five games. As a result, the odds-makers have the Lightning as a run away favorite to be the one to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup in just a few weeks.
Now, I’m not saying it’s a sure thing. The Lightning still have a tough task ahead finishing off the New York Islanders then they face the winner of the Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights where the Stars hold a 3-1 series lead as of writing this. It’s really incredible, honestly – the Stars lead three games to one having scored just six goals in the four games. It’s a testament to how good they are defensively and how incredible Anton Khudobin has been.
What it all boils down to, in my opinion, is the depth that Tampa Bay has put on full display during the postseason. Even when Brayden Point, Ryan McDonagh, Nikita Kucherov, or Alex Killorn missed time the Lightning didn’t miss a beat. No team in the playoffs have shown that level of resiliency or skill down the line the way the Bolts have.
Over at OddsChecker.com, they show the Lightning are runaway favorites across the board. They sit at -150 at FanDuel and BetMGM, at FOXBet they are -149, and at both Resorts Casino and Bet America the Lightning sit at -145.
For reference, the team with the second highest odds are the Stars who sit at +220 on FanDuel, +225 at Resorts Casino and Bet America, +230 at FOXBet, and +235 at BetMGM.
Here is a graphic sent to me from Pete Watt over at Odds Checker that shows each remaining team’s win probability since entering the bubble;
For reference, the Lightning’s current opponent has the longest odds at +2500, +3500, and +4000 among the five outlets mentioned above.
When all is said and done, the Lightning still need to do their jobs and play their game. Many believed they would run away with the Stanley Cup last year and we all know how that went. This time may feel different, but we have to witness that it truly is different before anyone starts celebrating.