What do back-to-back titles get you outside of praise, hardware and your name etched in the history books? Apparently not the backing of sportsbooks — the Tampa Bay Lightning open the 2022 Stanley Cup vs. the Colorado Avalanche as the underdogs despite their aforementioned consecutive titles.
But make no mistake about it, Colorado has earned its label as the favorite. The Avalanche secured the second-most regular-season wins (56) and have a 12-2 postseason record that includes two series sweeps.
Such success has been keyed by defenseman Cale Makar and center Nathan MacKinnon. Makar’s +180 odds at Tipico Sportsbook to win the Conn Smythe Trophy are the shortest of all players, while MacKinnon’s +210 odds rank second.
2022 Conn Smythe Odds
- Cale Makar (+180)
- Nathan MacKinnon (+210)
- Andrei Vasilevskiy (+400)
- Nikita Kucherov (+400)
- Steven Stamkos (+1300)
- Mikko Rantanen (+1300)
- Gabriel Landeskog (+2000)
- Victor Hedman (+2000)
[tipico]
Behind the two Avalanche players is Tampa Bay’s goaltender and reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner Andrei Vasilevskiy, whose +400 odds are tied with teammate Nikita Kucherov for the third shortest.
Game 1 of the Stanley Cup will begin Wednesday, June 15th as the Lightning look to three-peat and the Avalanche (-155) try to secure their first title in over 20 years.
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