Betting buzz: Stars, Jets to face off after braving remarkably long live odds

Everything that happens in sports carries added significance when viewed through a betting lens. News developments, from major injuries to historical achievements, constantly and profoundly influence the sports betting world.

This betting buzz summary provides insights into the key sports betting stories driving current conversations.

May 6: Stars, Jets Overcame Long Odds to Advance

According to Doug Greenberg, before last weekend, NHL teams trailing by multiple goals in the third period of a playoff Game 7 had a rare success rate, winning only three times. However, in the first round of this postseason, both the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets achieved this difficult comeback, overcoming significant live betting odds to reach the second round.

At their lowest points during the games, live betting odds showed Dallas as a +2000 underdog against the Colorado Avalanche, and Winnipeg faced even longer odds at +2500 in the final minutes against the St. Louis Blues.

Before the playoffs began, Colorado was slightly favored to win the Stanley Cup at +700, just ahead of the Florida Panthers (+750). Colorado was a popular bet among sportsbooks like BetMGM and DraftKings. St. Louis had much longer odds at 50-1 but represented a significant potential payout liability for some bookmakers.

As a reward for their first-round victories, the Stars and Jets now face each other. Dallas`s path has been volatile: after a trade deadline acquisition, they were co-favorites at +600, but a seven-game losing streak dropped them to +1100. Now, they are back to being the overall Cup favorites at +400.

Winnipeg, on the other hand, has the longest odds among remaining teams, tied with the Washington Capitals at +900, which is ironic considering both teams finished the regular season atop their conferences.

Bettors show little confidence in Winnipeg for their series against Dallas; major sportsbooks report that most money and bets are on the Stars (-175). Since the first round concluded, Dallas has received more bets for winning the Stanley Cup than any other team at BetMGM and ESPN BET.

Odds & Ends

• Entering the second round, no team with home-ice advantage was favored in their series, a first for this playoff round in over 30 years. After a win against Florida on Monday, the Toronto Maple Leafs (with home ice) became -125 favorites in their series.
• At BetMGM, Nathan MacKinnon of Colorado was the most popular bet for the Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP), representing 10.6% of bets and 11.3% of the money, making him the largest liability.
• Despite a 32-year drought for Canadian teams winning the Cup, they are significant liabilities for sportsbooks: The Edmonton Oilers lead with 21.2% of bets and 13.2% of money, while the Maple Leafs have the most bets and money (10.7% tickets, 11.9% handle) among remaining teams at BetMGM.

May 5: Warriors` Historic Playoff Favorite Streak Ending

According to David Purdum and ESPN Research, the Golden State Warriors, coached by Steve Kerr, have been favored in an unprecedented 27 consecutive playoff series since the ABA/NBA merger in 1976. This remarkable streak is expected to conclude this week.

In their Western Conference semifinal series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Warriors are listed as +150 underdogs, marking the first time they haven`t been favored in a series since the 2014 first round against the LA Clippers.

ESPN BET initially set the Timberwolves as -190 favorites on Sunday, with the line slightly shifting to -175 by Monday. Minnesota is also favored by 6.5 points in Game 1. Notably, Minnesota aims to be the first team, according to ESPN Research, to eliminate both LeBron James and Stephen Curry in a single postseason.

During the regular season, Golden State won three out of four games against Minnesota. The Warriors` midseason acquisition, Jimmy Butler, did not participate in any of those matchups.

NBA playoffs odds & ends

• Despite losing Game 1, the Cleveland Cavaliers remained the favorites (-210) in their semifinal series against the Indiana Pacers, who were listed at +170.
• The Oklahoma City Thunder (-900) start their series against the Denver Nuggets (+500) with a significant rest advantage (eight days versus Denver`s two). Since 2004, teams with a seven-plus day rest edge are undefeated straight-up and against the spread (8-0), winning by an average of 17.1 points. The Thunder are 9.5-point favorites in Game 1.

April 30: Cleveland Browns Attracting Bets Post-NFL Draft

According to Purdum, despite a divisive draft outcome and being listed as significant underdogs (10-1 for playoffs, lowest win total at 4.5), the Cleveland Browns are unexpectedly attracting support from bettors.

Following the draft, sportsbooks observed increased betting activity on the Browns. At ESPN BET, 93.4% of money on their win total was placed on `over 4.5 wins`, making it the fifth-most popular win total bet. Despite 200-1 Super Bowl odds, only five teams received more Super Bowl bets than the Browns at BetMGM this week. They also drew the most bets to win the AFC North.

ESPN Research notes that at 10-1 odds, the Browns are the biggest preseason playoff long shots since 2016. Their quarterback situation is uncertain, with potential contenders including veteran Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.

Shedeur Sanders has 15-1 odds for Offensive Rookie of the Year at ESPN BET, among the shortest available. He was 30-1 at BetMGM on Wednesday and drew significant action, with about 46% of the money for this award placed on him by Wednesday morning.

“We expect Shedeur Sanders to be among the most-bet-on players to win Offensive Rookie of the Year due to his name recognition and odds,” Christian Cipollini, trading manager for BetMGM, said in a release. “The Browns quarterback is the biggest liability to win the award.”

April 29: Pennsylvania Joins Online Poker Liquidity Compact

According to Purdum, the liquidity in American online poker increased this week as Pennsylvania joined the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA), which already included New Jersey, Michigan, Nevada, and Delaware. This allows players across these states to compete together for larger shared prize pools.

Caesars Entertainment announced the expansion of its World Series of Poker (WSOP) platform into Pennsylvania. This makes them the first U.S. operator to enable players from four states (Pennsylvania, Nevada, New Jersey, and Michigan) to compete for shared online prize pools via the WSOP platform.

This expansion precedes a key period for poker, highlighted by the World Series of Poker Main Event in Las Vegas in July. The 2025 WSOP Online Bracelet series starts May 31, running alongside the 56th annual live WSOP in Las Vegas. A notable online event will be a $250 buy-in tournament with a $1 million guaranteed prize pool starting on Day 1. Players can participate in both the online and live WSOP tournaments simultaneously. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed the agreement on April 23.

Daniel Barille, Vice President of Online Poker at Caesars Entertainment, commented in a press release: “The addition of the Pennsylvania player pool to WSOP Online comes at the perfect time, and we`re ready to give avid poker players in the Keystone State the opportunity to raise the stakes on their poker play. This expansion enhances the experience for players by building even greater prize pools that are up for grabs all summer long as a part of our jam-packed WSOP Online schedule. We`re ready to see who earns our largest online prize pools ever once the first hands are dealt this summer.”

April 24: Betting on Top Draft Picks: High Stakes, Low Returns

David Purdum shares a story about college student Zach Opengart, who, while competing in a bowling league championship last April, was more focused on a recent bet. Just before the draft, he`d traveled to Illinois to place a massive, almost unbelievable wager: $11,311.52 at -20,000 odds on Caleb Williams being the top pick in the NFL draft.

Opengart, then a senior at Washington University in St. Louis, admitted feeling nervous despite his confidence that the Chicago Bears would select Williams. He constantly checked his phone for draft news, occasionally looking up to watch the TV feed. The bet was substantial, potentially too much of his bankroll, he later reflected. His tension ended when Commissioner Roger Goodell announced Caleb Williams as the first pick.

Opengart`s winning bet yielded just over $56 from his large wager. Despite his distraction, his bowling team won their championship. Opengart celebrated by buying drinks.

Betting on events like the NFL draft often involves highly volatile markets with extremely short odds, posing management challenges for bookmakers and requiring bettors to risk significant amounts for small profits. This week, some sportsbooks listed quarterback Cam Ward at odds as short as -50,000 to be the No. 1 pick, meaning a $50,000 wager would net only $100. Caesars Sportsbook mentioned they hadn`t seen notable bets on Ward at these specific odds, but noted similar large, low-payout bets have occurred in prior drafts.

“Information events like the NFL draft are really tricky when it comes to offering odds,” Joey Feazel, head of football trading at Caesars Sportsbook, told ESPN. “When it appears that a team like the [Tennessee] Titans is set on drafting Cam Ward with the first pick of the draft, we will offer odds that closely reflect the 99.99% probability of something like that happening.”

Opengart, now working in marketing, commented that this perceived certainty is what draws him to betting on heavy favorites like Williams last year.

Explaining his approach, Opengart stated in an interview, “My thinking was a lot about the surety of the [Williams] bet in comparison with prior drafts… I had heard the Bears GM laughing about the idea of taking anybody else. It seemed like a sure thing to me.”

While he aims to avoid risking such a large portion of his bankroll again, Opengart continues to bet on heavy favorites, though not always successfully. He recalled losing several thousand dollars attempting to win about $100 on Alabama as massive -2800 favorites against Vanderbilt in college football, a game Alabama unexpectedly lost.

Opengart philosophized about his strategy: “It was brutal, but I always say with betting, especially my style, that you have to have the memory of a goldfish… The only thing that matters is the long-term return. I`m the type of person, if you`ll give me a free 50 bucks … I`ll take it every time, get myself a steak dinner and be happy about it.”

Looking ahead, Opengart mentioned his next planned low-risk, high-stake wager is on Cooper Flagg to be the top pick in the upcoming NBA draft.