Sharks Now -290 Favorites to Advance to Western Conference Final After Winning Game 3 vs Avalanche
- After taking a 2-1 series lead, the San Jose Sharks are now -290 favorites to beat the Colorado Avalanche in their Western Conference semifinal series
- Can San Jose prove them right and take the series?
- Is there any value in betting on a Colorado comeback?
After a huge hat-trick performance from Logan Couture in Game 3 and a 4-2 Sharks road win, books aren’t taking any chances to start the month of May.
San Jose now has a pretty decent edge on the Avalanche since the Sharks were -120 favorites after Game 2, but do they have that same hefty advantage when it comes to the actual series itself? Let’s investigate what lies ahead on the Pacific side of the Western Conference semifinals.
2019 Western Conference Semifinal Series Win Odds
| Team | Sharks-Avalanche Series odds |
|---|---|
| San Jose Sharks | -290 |
| Colorado Avalanche | +245 |
*Odds taken May 1, 2019
Can the Sharks complete the Colorado Chomp?
Some experts were going as far as crowning the Colorado Avalanche as Western and Stanley Cup champs after their Round 1 knockout of the first place Calgary Flames, but hold your horses!
After a dominant performance at the Pepsi Center on Tuesday, San Jose is now in the driver’s seat as the team to beat in this semifinal series. Entering game four on Thursday, the Sharks have a heck of a lot of going for them while riding this comfortable wave of momentum.
Hats off for @Logancouture! ??? #PlayoffMode pic.twitter.com/LH3yFuWtbF
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) May 1, 2019
With just one assist and an even plus-minus in Round 2, the Sharks needed some scoring help in a big way from Logan Couture. He’s usually a consistent character come playoff time, but was off to an unusually sluggish series start after tallying eight points against Vegas in Round 1.
Couture put his team on his back in game three though and thanks to his efforts, San Jose has taken some wind out of the Colorado sails. While his name is in lights today, he’s not the only one making a difference.
Martin Jones has averaged a save percentage of .919 and Brent Burns has already delivered seven points through just three games.
Martin Jones has averaged a save percentage of .919 and Brent Burns has already delivered seven points through just three games.
If the Sharks can go home with a 3-1 series lead or even a split after a close game on Thursday, they can continue to cruise this current wave. We’re not calling them Cup champs here, but at -290, there could definitely be some money made.
To Bank or Not to Bank on a Colorado Comeback
The Avalanche are young and they are resilient. Of all the teams remaining, it’d be hard not to bank on the Avs to at least make this a series. From what we saw against Calgary, Philipp Grubauer is at his best when the work load picks up.
If Colorado’s D continues to break down, it may work in their favor strangely. The more rubber he sees, the more of a boost their offense gets.
At +245, there’s definitely value in taking a shot with the Avs.
Ryan is what you call a seasoned vet. It's been nearly 13 years and he has hosted three sports radio talk shows, two football television shows, two sports podcasts, released his first book in 2012, had his own ESPN E:60 documentary shot, and was the first inductee to ESPN's Hall of Fans.
