October 6, 2011; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins fans pass around a flag with the Stanley Cup as part of the celebration before the game against the Philadelphia Flyers at TD Banknorth Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Every year, a lot of armchair quarterbacks and general managers gear up for another year of fantasy sports. Some people play for fun, some play in beer leagues, and some people take it seriously enough to look towards the desert of Las Vegas. One of Las Vegas’ premier gambling sites is Bovada. They’ve been running their numbers and breaking down all the computations necessary to give them a betting line for who will be the best team in the NHL’s “new” Atlantic Division.
This year the hands down favorite is our own Boston Bruins. Here listed below are the teams and how they are expected to fair in the division:
Boston Bruins 11/5 (Always a good feeling to see the Black and Gold atop the standings.)
Detroit Red Wings 7/2 (Detroit’s move to the division will make them a serious contender, as they play a tough, physical game)
Montreal Canadiens 9/2 (If they’ve installed a springboard in the home bench, then the dives should particularly breathtaking this year.)
Toronto Maple Leafs 9/2 (Their odds have improved, and a young team will do what they can so Leafs fans forget what happened in game seven last year.)
Ottawa Senators 13/2 (With the loss of their captain, a certain amount of wind has gone out of their sails. They should make the playoffs, but it’s not a lock.)
Tampa Bay Lightning 15/2 (The Lightning aren’t expected to get into the post season as a once outstanding team has now slid firmly into mediocrity.)
Buffalo Sabres 30/1 (This one I don’t get. They’ve got the talent, but other than beating Boston last season, it was just a rough go for them last season.)
Florida Panthers 50/1 (Huberdeau is a great player, but what can he do alone? Also $7 tickets just may paint how bleak their prospects are for this season.)
Seven dollar tickets to a NHL game? You can’t get that for an AHL game. (You can’t even get some refreshments at the TD Garden that cheap.)
It’s definitely something that should boost the Bruins’ spirits. They have only started Captain’s practices, haven’t even played a full scrimmage yet, and the boys in Vegas are already betting on them. Just like the rest of us in Bruins Nation.