How pro, public bettors see Oilers’ odds to complete historic comeback

Will they join the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and become the second team in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup after trailing the championship series 3-0?

The odds are slightly against it. But sportsbooks expect the betting public to be all over the Oilers in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday at Florida.

“I really think we’re going to see an onslaught of Edmonton money, that we’ll be Florida fans when they drop the puck on Monday night,” Red Rock Resort sportsbook director Chuck Esposito said. “All the momentum is with Edmonton.”

The Panthers are -110 favorites at the Westgate SuperBook and the Oilers are even-money underdogs. The line is -115/-105 at Station Sports.

SuperBook oddsmaker Ed Salmons said he expects professional bettors and recreational bettors to be on opposite sides in Game 7.

“The line kind of tells you where the series is because Game 1 closed (-)135 on Florida, Game 5 was all the way up to (-)165 on Florida and this game is between (-)110 and (-)115. The oddsmakers are pricing it essentially as a coin flip,” he said. “It feels like the sharp guys will want to bet Florida and I’m pretty sure the public’s going to bet Edmonton.

“The wiseguys have shown no appetite for the Edmonton side. At least not yet.”

The Oilers were 13-1 at Station to win the series after losing the first three games. But Esposito said the book took less than 10 wagers on them at that price.

“The guests didn’t believe in them when they were down 3-0,” he said. “They just looked like a beaten team when they were down 3-0. And even down 3-1, there wasn’t a lot of action on them.”

Edmonton was 7-1 at the SuperBook to lift the Cup when it trailed 3-1. The book took a $5,000 wager on the Oilers at +290 after they cut the gap to 3-2.

“We’ve actually taken some decent money on Edmonton,” Salmons said. “People take a shot like that. I don’t blame them at a big plus (price).”

Over or under?

The total is 5½. It’s heavily juiced to the under, which is -135 at Station and was as high as -165 elsewhere Sunday.

The first two games of the series went under the total but the last four have gone over. There have been three Game 7s in the NHL playoffs this season, with all three going under.

“It’s automatic. Anytime there’s a Game 7, they usually lower it a half (goal) or (increase) the juice,” Salmons said. “The public will bet it over but there’s no wiseguy willing to bet over. It’s bet under or don’t bet.”

Oilers center Connor McDavid, a three-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner as NHL MVP, exploded for eight combined points in Games 4 and 5. Edmonton rolled to an 8-1 win in Game 4 and 5-3 win in Game 5 before tying the series with a 5-1 victory in Game 6.

“In modern-day sports, you never see a series that goes 3-0 to the other team just completely dominating like this,” Salmons said. “It’s just so rare.”

A BetMGM bettor needs the Oilers to win to cash a $1,000 parlay that pays $584,000.

The bettor placed the three-leg futures parlay in January in Colorado using a promotional credit offered to new customers. The three legs are the Kansas City Chiefs to win the Super Bowl at +650, Real Madrid to win the UEFA Champions League at +550 and the Oilers to win the Stanley Cup at 11-1 odds.

“When you look at McDavid, the best player in your sport and one of the generational-type players, you have to win the championship,” Esposito said. “Now that’s it’s 3-3, I really think there’s a lot more pressure on Florida in this game.”

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