Stanley Cup Final: Bobrovsky, Cats might be down, but they're not out

The Vegas Golden Knights have the odds in their favor after their 5-2 win against the Florida Panthers in Game 1. If history is any indication, they have a good chance of winning the Stanley Cup for the first time in their franchise history. According to ESPN, an impressive 76% of teams who have won the first game of the final have gone on to hoist the coveted Stanley Cup.

With the victory, Vegas’ odds to win the cup have gone from +135 to -220 while the Panthers check in as the underdogs, at +180. 

Don’t count out Bobrovsky and the Panthers (+180)

Sergei Bobrovsky lost for just the second time in 12 games this postseason, surrendering four goals on 33 shots in Game 1. Don’t expect these struggles to become a trend for the Conn Smythe favorite. 

Bobrovsky has a history of responding after a bad performance, going on a 9-1 run with a 1.62 goals-against average after allowing five goals to the Boston Bruins in Game 6 of round one of the playoffs. Beyond that, the Golden Knights are bound to come back down to reality at some point, as they are shooting 2.72% better at five-on-five this postseason than they did during the regular season. 

Speaking of the Golden Knights, they’re in the Final for the second time in six years. In 2018, Vegas also won the opener of the Stanley Cup Final, only to go on to lose the series to the Washington Capitals, 4-1. 

At +180, Florida presents the best bang for its buck and looks like a true value bet based on recent trends. 

In the news ...

Knicks star undergoes surgery — ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Knicks forward Julius Randle underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle on Friday. Randle was hobbled by an ankle injury toward the latter end of the regular season as well as in the first round of New York’s series win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Randle earned All-Star honors for the second time in his career in 2022-23, averaging a career-best 25.1 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. His play helped the Knicks reach the conference semifinals for the first time in a decade. New York has +450 odds to win the NBA Finals in 2023-24. 

Celtics break silence on Jaylen Brown’s future — Following a rough showing in the Celtics’ conference finals loss to the Miami Heat, Jaylen Brown’s status as Jayson Tatum’s co-star in Boston has been questioned among fans and pundits. However, those in the team’s building aren’t blinking an eye when it comes to Brown’s status as a franchise centerpiece. “I can say, without a doubt, we want Jaylen to be here. He’s a big part of us,” team president Brad Stevens told reporters late last week. Boston currently owns -500 odds to retain Brown. The Houston Rockets check in at +1200 to pry Brown from Boston and reunite him with his former head coach, Ime Udoka. 

Justin Jefferson primed for a record-setting deal — NFL insider Jeremy Fowler reported on ESPN’s SportsCenter that Minnesota Vikings star receiver Justin Jefferson could become the highest-paid non-quarterback in league history with his next deal. Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald is currently the highest-paid non-QB in football, averaging $31.6M per year. Jefferson has averaged 1,712.5 receiving yards per season since 2021 and holds +650 odds to lead the NFL in receiving next season. 

Today's Bark Bets is written by Vinny Somma