Sportsbooks Take A Bath For Every New York Rangers 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Win

The New York Rangers' popularity is costing sportsbooks money. Per DraftKings Sportsbook's director of trading, Johnny Avello, via the NY Post: "The Rangers are a huge hazard for us, we get bet all year long on every single game, they’re the most popular team in hockey when it comes to hockey betting". 

New York beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 Sunday in their Round 2 Eastern Conference series opener of the 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, hurting the sportsbooks' bottom lines. Avello continued, "I can tell you, easily, that the Rangers are our biggest liability these playoffs." 

New York Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad celebrates after scoring during the first period vs. the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 in the Second Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. (Josh Lavallee/NHL via Getty Images)

With this in mind, you might wonder, Will oddsmakers try to steer people toward betting the Hurricanes?  Umm, nope. It's the opposite. Avello and fellow bookmakers are pretty much begging NHL gamblers and New Yorkers to bet on the Rangers again in Game 2 Tuesday, which is very suspicious. 

As of 1:30 p.m. ET Tuesday, New York is a +105 underdog to win outright and +1.5 (-258) on the puck line at DraftKings vs. Carolina in Game 2. This is despite a 30-cent tax on the Rangers for this game being on their home rink at Madison Square Garden. Sportsbooks are drawing a line in the sand and daring bettors to cross it. 

New Yorkers LOVE betting on their beloved Rangers in the 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs 

The Empire State is one of 38 in America with legalized sports betting. Monthly, New Yorkers are sports betting at a higher rate than every other U.S. state. Since most bettors are fans throwing a few bucks on their favorite team and the Rangers are the most popular NHL team, sportsbooks root against the Blueshirts nightly in the Stanley Cup playoffs. 

As a wannabe sharp sports bettor, I should advise you to fade the Rangers and bet the Hurricanes in Game 2. Typically, these NHL Stanley Cup playoff series zig-zag. The team behind in the series plays with more urgency and, as Avello told The Post, "In Game 2, home ice isn’t worth that much". 

But, I grew up in the capital region of New York and I'm a lifelong Rangers fan. I.e. I'm one of the suckers that keep betting the Blueshirts. Because I'm a nerd who only writes deep-dive betting pieces, I haven't publicized my Rangers bets. Yet, if New York wins its first Stanley Cup since 1994, I'm going on a sick vacation this summer. (Actually, I'll probably lose that money betting golf). 

New York Rangers legend Mark Messier raises the Stanley Cup defeating the Vancouver Canucks at Madison Square Garden in 1994. (David E. Klutho/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

Believe me, life as a Rangers fan has been miserable and I'm lucky enough to have seen them hoist Lord Stanley's Cup. They went 54 years without winning a title. Nonetheless, I can truly say this is the best Rangers team in the last 30 years. Just like '94, New York won the Presidents' Trophy by having the best regular-season record in the NHL. 

Unfortunately, the sportsbooks want to profit from my and other Rangers fans' excitement. Knowing our luck and history, the bookies will succeed. 

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