Sportsbooks sorry to see Knights, betting handle go

Las Vegas sportsbooks know betting interest in the Stanley Cup Final plummeted with the Golden Knights’ elimination Thursday.

The Montreal Canadiens finished off the Knights in Game 6 of their Stanley Cup semifinal series and are set to play the winner of Friday’s Game 7 between the New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning for the title.

William Hill sportsbook director Nick Bogdanovich estimated handle to be about three times less without Vegas going for the championship.

Station Casinos sportsbooks vice president Jason McCormick said that series is “just not going to be as interesting” from a handle perspective.

MGM Resorts director of trading Jeff Stoneback said its properties would miss all the bets placed by fans walking to Knights home games.

“Handle will definitely be down for the Cup, especially for us as we have many properties adjacent to T-Mobile (Arena) and always get lots of tickets written on the way to the game,” he said via text message.

The sportsbooks were largely able to come out ahead on the Knights’ struggles against Montreal.

Knights fans “backed them with their wallets all the way to the end,” McCormick said. “They expected the Knights were going to find their legs and advance to the Stanley Cup.”

The Knights were favorites of about -500 to win the series before it started. The Canadiens were +400, and that price went even higher after Montreal lost Game 1.

The Canadiens were underdogs in every game, but won four of them to advance, including two games in Las Vegas at prices greater than 2-1.

With the Knights laying such a heavy price on the money line (-250 to -270 at home and about -175 on the road), many Vegas backers opted to lay -1½ goals on the puck line to reduce the price. The Knights covered the puck line only in a 4-1 victory in Game 1.

McCormick said it was “a great series as far as the sportsbook is concerned,” though he would have rather seen the Knights advance.

Stoneback said the individual games were good results for MGM, and Circa sportsbook manager Chris Bennett said it did well overall, too.

“Less support for the Knights as the series went on, but enough to make us a winner,” he said via text message.

Bogdanovich said William Hill lost on the Canadiens in the series.

Over bettors also took it on the chin. Every game either went under 5½ goals or pushed on 5.

Contact Jim Barnes at jbarnes@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0277. Follow @JimBarnesLV on Twitter.