Tracking In-Series Odds Gives NHL Bettors Chance For Playoff Profits

The end result in the quest for Lord Stanley's Cup looks a lot less clear than it did at the start of Round 1.

Following their historic regular season, the Boston Bruins were the clear favorites to win it all. DraftKings gave them the shortest odds at +210, followed by the Colorado Avalanche at a distant +600. Just two weeks later, much has changed.

The championship market seems wide open, following the Avs falling to the Seattle Kraken paired with the Bruins' demise. Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk referred to Florida's victory over Boston as the "biggest upset in NHL history, to every single other person other than (the Panthers)."

Despite the Panthers and Kraken slaying their respective giants in the first round, for Round 2, DraftKings gave Seattle and Florida the longest and second-longest odds to win it all at 20-1 and 10-1, respectively. Then, both teams won their second-round openers. To no surprise, the odds have shifted again and will continue to as the series goes on. Even the favorite to win it all has already flipped from the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Edmonton Oilers -- after just one game.

There are a few ways to approach the postseason betting market at this point. After seeing the Panthers come back from being down 3-1 against the Bruins, truly anything seems possible. I would take advantage of the dramatic shift in the series winner price, before and after each game in the series. For example, the Maple Leafs opened as the -185 series favorite against the Panthers. After losing Game 1, you?re now getting Toronto at +105. Instead of laying -185 on the Leafs before the series started -- risking almost $200 to win $100 -- now you risk $100 for a payout of $205.

The same goes for the Dallas Stars, who were also large favorites, around -200 against the Kraken. With one overtime loss to Seattle in Game 1, they're now all the way down to -120. That's a bet I would make today. I do think this will be a tight series, as Seattle's offense has looked great and Philipp Grubauer has exceeded expectations. However, their leading scorer and shot-producer, Jared McCann, remains out with an injury. That could hurt them down the stretch if he stays sidelined. Dallas has been one of the most talented offensive teams this regular season and postseason. Plus, they have Jake Oettinger in net who has been a key factor in their success all year. I could see them winning in Game 6 or 7 here, so I would grab them at the cheap price while you can.

There are plenty of markets you can explore this postseason, but take advantage of these volatile series prices as the games go on. You could find yourself in a situation like Panthers bettors did, hopping on them at 15-1 when they were down 3-1. That's a nice payday if you stick with your gut on a team and it comes to fruition.