With the NHL regular season approaching its end, we look at the futures betting market for the Metropolitan Division, where the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers are fighting it out to win the title.
The two sides are neck and neck at the top of the division with only four games each left, and it’s also pretty tight in the betting to win the Metropolitan Division.
As things stand, both sides have played 78 matches, and both sit on 108 points – 9 points clear of third place Pittsburgh Penguins, so it’s a two horse race!
In a race this tight, ROW is vitally important. At the moment it stands 49-47 in favor of the Hurricanes, and is one of the factors why they are the slight betting favorites.
The Hurricanes beat the Winnipeg Jets 4-2 at the PNC Arena yesterday in their latest outing. The victory didn’t come without incident, with Carolina needing three unanswered goals in the third period to secure the victory.
Rod Brind’ Amour’s team are on a winning streak of two, and in their last 10 they are 5-5-0. So as you can see, they are not having things all their own way.
Remaining Matches:-
In their most recent fixture on Thursday night, the Rangers defeated the Islanders 6-3. The match at the UBS Arena was all but over after the second period with the visitors 5-1 up.
New York also seems to be in better form than the Hurricanes. They are on a winning streak of four, and in their last 10 matches, their record reads 7-2-1.
Remaining Matches:-
Overall, the Hurricanes look to have the more favorable run-in, and they are widely regarded as the stronger of the two teams.
But, the Rangers have three of their remaining four matches at home, while the Hurricanes are on the road for three of their four.
The obvious stand out match in both team’s remaining NHL regular season fixtures is on April 26th, when both sides meet at Madison Square Garden in what looks set to be the divisional decider.
That is certainly a match to be looking forward to.
A slip-up from either team in their remaining fixtures does look unlikely. So it comes down to this for me; the Hurricanes are the logical bet, but the Rangers are the value bet.
Elsewhere in the NHL, and in the latest betting odds to win the Stanley Cup, the Colorado Avalanche are still the betting favorites. The Avalanche are now just +350 to win their third-ever Stanley Cup.
Jared Bednar’s side has been the standout team in the Central Division, with a double-digit points lead over their nearest rivals. They have already clinched the division, and have also clinched the Western Conference.
Their closest rivals in the betting to win the Stanley Cup are the Florida Panthers at +550. The Panthers are running away with the Eastern Conference, and have a ten points lead over the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division.
The Panthers have yet to lift the Stanley Cup in their brief 29-year history. But with ‘interim’ coach Andrew Brunette in charge, they have a great chance of rewriting history over the next few weeks.
| Odds To Win 2022 Stanley Cup |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado Avalanche | +300 | +350 |
| Florida Panthers | +420 | +550 |
| Calgary Flames | +670 | +900 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | +940 | +1000 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | +920 | +1000 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | +980 | +1000 |
Next comes the Calgary Flames at +900. The Flames have already clinched a playoff spot and are on the verge of winning the Pacific Division.
The Tampa Bay Lightning, the Carolina Hurricanes and the Toronto Maple Leafs are all sitting on +1000, just about hanging in there with the favorites.
All three have confirmed their playoff slots this season. And therefore sit at shorter odds than the chasing pack.
A futures bet is a long-term bet or a wager on something that is further down the line. For example, a typical futures bet is one you might have placed on the winner of the 2022 Stanley Cup, when the NHL season started back in October 2021.
Generally, patience is required to win a futures bet. This is why some people love them, while others aren’t keen as they prefer their wagers to be completed on the day, or across a weekend.
There is no real-time threshold on a futures wager. It can be a bet on something happening in two weeks, like in the above example, to win the Metropolitan Division. Or it could be something that will materialize in 12 months, or it could even be in three to four years’ time if you are wagering on a soccer world cup.
In short, the clues in the name. But if you’re still not sure, here at VegasBetting we have a futures betting explained page to help you further understand.
