Golden Knights now Stanley Cup favorites at Westgate

The Golden Knights, a victory away from advancing to the NHL semifinals, have been installed by the Westgate as the favorites to win the Stanley Cup.

After rallying for a 3-2 overtime win at Colorado on Tuesday to take a 3-2 lead in their second-round series, the Knights were made the +175 Stanley Cup favorites at the sportsbook over the Tampa Bay Lightning, the 2-1 second choice.

The Lightning are slight Stanley Cup favorites over the Knights at Circa, William Hill and BetMGM.

“We have the Knights -360 on the series price (over the Avalanche), and whoever wins the series is going to be favored over any team remaining,” Westgate vice president of risk Jeff Sherman said. “When you add up the recent liability we’ve had on the Knights, we just feel they should be the favorite at this point.”

Sherman noted that the path to the Stanley Cup Final sets up easier for the Knights, who would face the fourth-seeded Montreal Canadiens in the next round.

Tampa Bay will play the New York Islanders, a winner in six games over the Boston Bruins.

“If they finish it off, the Knights would get Montreal, and the price would probably be -400 if they played,” Sherman said. “The other side will be more competitive than that.”

Tampa Bay is a 2-1 favorite to repeat as Stanley Cup champion at BetMGM, and the Knights are +225. At Circa and William Hill, where the Lightning are +190, the Knights are 2-1.

“The only reason the Knights aren’t favored is because this series isn’t over,” William Hill sportsbook director Nick Bogdanovich said. “If they can get through Colorado, they’ll be the favorites.”

William Hill was a small loser and the Westgate a small winner on Game 5. The Knights are -135 favorites at the Westgate for Game 6 on Thursday at T-Mobile Arena and +195 on the puck line (-1½). The total is 5½.

“I’m sure the handle will be incredible,” Sherman said. “We write much more on home games than road games.”

Bogdanovich said bettors will be all over the Knights.

“They look like the best team,” he said. “They’re going to lay 140, and they’re going to lay 1½.”

The Avalanche are the largest Stanley Cup futures liability at BetMGM, where almost four times as much money was wagered on Colorado to win the title than on any other team.

BetMGM took a $5,000 wager to win $150,000 on Montreal to reach the Stanley Cup Final and a $5,000 bet to win $100,000 on New York to hoist the Cup.

The Knights are the only liability at William Hill and the Westgate.

“For futures, we’re a small loser with the Knights,” Bogdanovich said. “Everyone else, we’re good.”

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.