Rangers are desperate to beat the bookies in the play-offs.
Johnny Abello, director of trading at DraftKings, told the Post that the most popular team in hockey betting has by far the biggest liability, posing a big risk for sportsbooks going forward.
“The Rangers are a big risk for us. We bet on every game all year round. When it comes to hockey betting, the Rangers are the most popular team in hockey,” Abello said. “With New Yorkers all over the country, the expectation is that every game, every state, every series, there’s going to be a lot of money coming into the Rangers.
“The Rangers are easily our biggest liability in this playoffs.”
In a series with many ups and downs, the Blueshirts were underdogs (+105) at home in Game 2 against the Hurricanes, but are favored to win the series (-140) after winning Game 1.
“In Game 2, they’re losing because you factor in the urgency after the Hurricanes lost,” Abello explained.
The Rangers are currently favorites to win the series, but neither team has the advantage in the first two home games of this series, and I expect them to be on the back foot in Game 2.
“The Rangers are going to bet big around +102 in Game 2, and we’re OK with that,” Abello said. “We’ve set a line that we think the Rangers can bet on, but we feel it’s a fair line for Carolina.”
If they can pull off another win, oddsmakers in the sports betting world will be paying a hefty fee.
“If the Rangers had lost Game 1, they would have been an even bigger underdog in the series, like +220 or +240,” Abello said. “But they won Game 1, so they should be favored in the series, but not in this game.”
Does this series downplay the loyalty of the Rangers or the mystique of The Garden?
“This garden definitely has great value,” Avello said. “In hockey, the equalizer is about $0.30.” [meaning +100 would generally move to -130 and so on] Most of the time it’s on the money line. ”
But with one game left, Avello, who has already experienced what a crazy place Madison Square Garden is, expects the Hurricanes to storm through.
“Home ice isn’t worth as much in Game 2,” Abello said. “There’s some value to this, but the Hurricanes are in a position where they really have to win games and they’re a quality hockey team, so it’s not a full number that has normal value. It’s a very good hockey team.”
When the Rangers fly south to Raleigh for Game 3, home ice will be sold at similar prices to the Hurricanes.
Would you bet on the NHL?
“What we’re going to see from this is that the Hurricanes will probably do as well in their first home game, but … if Carolina wins Game 3, they won’t have much of an advantage in Game 4,” Abello said. Ta.
On Tuesday night, the Rangers get a big chance in front of a raucous crowd, a world of mass gambling and against a backdrop of unfavorable conditions.
