By Daniel Behringer for LVSportsBiz.com
Bet on the Vegas Golden Knights to close out the series vs. the Vancouver Canucks or not?
That was the question on Tuesday as the VGK took a commanding 3-1 series lead into Game 5.
The price was typical for the Western Conference semifinals with the Golden Knights a fat -240 favorite.
While it was tempting to play a team that had shown success during the retooled Stanley Cup playoffs, it wasn’t a game the Knights had to win.
We passed.
Nor were we particularly surprised when the Canucks prevailed, 2-1. The Golden Knights actually outshot the Canucks, 43-17, but a strong performance from rookie goalie Thatcher Demko, who made 42 saves, stymied the Knights’ bid to finish the series.
“We had some really good looks too and he made some big saves,” Golden Knights coach DeBoer told reporters. “We had some point blank shots that we’ve got guys that can stick those in the net, and we just didn’t.”
Yup.
Meanwhile, the Phoenix Mercury surprised the previously Las Vegas Aces, 92-85, in the WNBA. The Mercury won every quarter except the fourth in toppling the Aces, who were an 8.5-point favorite. The Mercury closed at around +320 on the money line.
That dropped the Aces to 9-5-1 ATS since the restart of the season at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
The Golden Knights had another chance to finish off the Canucks in Game 6 on Thursday.
We figured this was the game so we took a stab on the VGK and at ridiculously high -285, too.
We were wrong. Dead wrong. Woefully wrong. Empty-pockets wrong.
Goalie Demko was superb again, and the Canucks blanked the Golden Knights, 4-0. In two starts, Demko stopped 90 of 91 shots. He became the third rookie goalie in NHL history to force a Game 7 with a shutout, The Associated Press reported.
Regardless, if you had the Canucks on the reverse puck line, you had a hugely successful and well-earned payday.
The Aces, however, rebounded smartly after their loss and dropped the Connecticut Sun, 93-78, on Thursday. Laying 8.5 points, they covered and moved their ATS record to a solid 10-5-1. Professional ‘cappers are happy to tout a 67 percent winning record. Showing their resilience after a loss, the Aces outscored the Sun in all four quarters.
By Friday, the Golden Knights and Canucks were set for a Game 7. We noted one sharp bettor who advised a puck line play on the Canucks at around -140, saying the Canadian team had the hot hand and the hot goalie.
We didn’t disagree, but found the Knights at -225 a reasonable play. Deep into the third period, Shea Theodore finally scored for the Golden Knights to give them a 1-0 lead. It was the first goal in 138:40 for the Las Vegas team, and they added two consolation goals to seal the deal — and reward puck line bettors with a 3-0 victory.
“There was times it felt like we could have played for six hours and not scored on him,” DeBoer told reporters.
Golden Knights bettors surely felt the same way.
The Aces concluded the week with an 89-79 win over the Atlanta Dream. Laying 10.5 points, they got off to a sluggish start and trailed 23-21 after the end of the first quarter. Make that 10-6-1 ATS for the Las Vegas team.
The Aces next play on Tuesday and will be double-digit favorites over the Indiana Fever, who are a decidedly unfeverish 5-13.
The Golden Knights returned to action Sunday in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals vs. the Dallas Stars. With the VGK still recovering from a hard-fought, seven-game series and with Ryan Reaves sitting out because of a penalty for an illegal check to the head of Vancouver’s Tyler Motte, we leaned toward the Stars on the puck line at -165.
The Stars, however, blanked the Golden Knights, 1-0, and it turned out there was an even better play — the Stars at about +145.
It was the second time in three games the VGK were shut out.
“It took us a while to get our legs going,” Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt told reporters. “We didn’t come out to play from the start of the game.”
Game 2 is Tuesday.
Elsewhere:
— A Bob Baffert-trained horse, Authentic, outraced heavily favored Tiz the Law down the stretch at the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. With John Velazquez aboard as jockey, Authentic paid $18.80, $6.00 and $5.00. An Authentic-Tiz the Law exacta paid $41.00.
The Belmont Stakes now goes Oct. 3 in a horseracing world turned upside down by the coronavirus pandemic. Horse bettors surely are salivating over an Authentic-Tiz the Law rematch.
— The Eastern Conference No. 1 seeded Milwaukee Bucks avoided elimination on Sunday with a 118-115 win in overtime vs. the Miami Heat. The Heat, +5 or +5.5, in each of the first three games, won each of those games outright. Game 5 is Tuesday.
— The first two games of the Western Conference Los Angeles Clippers-Denver Nuggets series have seen both first-half totals easily go over the total, while both game totals have gone under. Game 3 is Monday.
— “Sports Center” host Scott (#Winner$) Van Pelt picked only one game for Week 1 of college football because of the light slate. His singular selection was Middle Tennessee State +3.5 vs. Army on Saturday. Army won, 41-0.
— We expect a decent crowd in Las Vegas race and sportsbooks on Thursday when the NFL season opens with the Houston Texas at the Kansas City Chiefs. From our experience, NFL fans and bettors are typically the most boisterous. Chiefs are -9.5, and the total is 54. We’ll put the expected noise level at 5.5, on a scale of 1 for nobody cares to 10 for the Super Bowl.