The Wild, as the world knows by now, stunned the VGK in Game 1, 1-0, but the price hadn’t really changed. You were laying around -170 but could have earned a more rewarding +170 on the puck line.
And of course, the Golden Knights responded with a 3-1 win. Which set up pivotal Game 3. On the road at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, the Knights were a mere -110 this time. Was that a bargain price? Perhaps, and of course, the Las Vegas team won the game, 5-2, the first (and so far only) over in the series.
Feeling more confident about backing the Golden Knights at the window by now? Confident enough to roll that winning ticket over at -120? Or even +200 on the puck line? Hindsight is easy in the world of sports betting, but if you kept the pressure on, you were once again rewarded as the Knights, with Marc-Andre Fleury in the net, blanked the Wild, 4-0.
There was, of course, another way to play the Golden Hats in this series and that was to bet the series at around -250. If you did so, you may have had a queasy feeling after Game 1. But you’re obviously feeling better now and have some hedging opportunities with the Knights at home Monday in a potential series clincher. The price on the Las Vegas team is -185 for Monday’s game at T-Mobile Arena with the total again at 5.5. You can find the puck line around +150.
— Weather watch: How much is wind a factor at the Las Vegas Ballpark? With a 30 mph wind blowing out to centerfield on Thursday night, the Las Vegas Aviators romped over the Salt Lake Bees, 16-8. The winds had died down the following evening but was still 12 mph out to center. The game was trending under — until the Aviators put up a 9 spot in the bottom of the seventh to win the game, 12-6. Both times the total was 12.5.
The Aviators’ series with the Bees concludes with games on Monday and Tuesday.
— Longshot: Yes, that was Phil “Lefty” Mickelson who won the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island, South Carolina on Sunday. If you were bold enough to bet the 50-year-old Mickelson, your ticket read something like +22500 or 225-1 — perhaps enough for some 50-year-old Scotch. Unless, of course, you plan to keep it as a souvenir.
— Underdogs: Playing favorites in the eight games of the NBA Playoffs on Saturday and Sunday could have been hazardous to your bankroll. In those weekend games, the only two favorites who covered were the Brooklyn Nets (-8.5 vs. the Boston Celtics) and the Phoenix Suns (-2.5 vs. the Los Angeles Lakers). The Memphis Grizzlies, +8 vs. the Utah Jazz, topped off the weekend by beating the Jazz outright, 112-109. The Grizzlies were around +300 on the money line.
— UFC in Arizona: A rematch between UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori is set for UFC 263 on June 12. Adesanya is currently around -265 and Vettori +225 for the bout at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
— Laugher of the week: If you played the Atlanta Braves vs. the overmatched Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday, you were able to enjoy one of the laughers of the week. The Braves, who were -190 or even +110 on the run line, scored in every inning but one on their way to a 20-1 beat down of the Bucs.