We’ve finally got some intrigue in the Stanley Cup Final…
but today, we mourn the loss of an MLB legend.
Oilers Send Series Home
What Happened: The race for the Stanley Cup is officially back on.
The Florida Panthers were unable to clinch the Cup on home ice, dropping Game 5 to the Edmonton Oilers 5-3 and sending the series back to the Great White North. Momentum (and home ice) is firmly on the Oilers’ side now as the Panthers try to stop the bleeding in time to become champs.
Why It Matters: After pulling out Games 4 and 5, do the oddsmakers see Edmonton firmly in the driver’s seat? Well, not exactly…
By sending the series back to Rogers Place, Connor McDavid’s team has firmly established itself as Game 6’s favorite. At FanDuel, the odds this series goes to a seventh game now stand at -128, whereas Florida wrapping things up on the road has +104 odds.
But ultimately, it’s still the Panthers’ Cup to lose, as evidenced by their -360 odds to win the series, compared to the Oilers at +280.
Beating a streaking Oilers team at home will be tough, but even tougher might be shaking off three straight losses and regrouping in time to secure a Game 7 victory. This series is finally delivering the goods. (Take note, NBA.)
How Weâre Feeling Today
Saddened at the news of the passing of Willie Mays.
While we were a bit too young to have seen the “Say Hey Kid” play, his reputation among generations of baseball fans spoke for itself. Mays was for years alongside Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth as the only players to hit 600+ home runs, and is behind one of the most famous catches in MLB history.
In a testament to his greatness, advanced metrics have only bolstered his case as one, if not the greatest to ever play the game. And good luck finding someone to say a bad word about Mays as a person; we haven’t come across that at all, even after all those years out of the spotlight.
Mays was an ambassador for the game and hooked an untold number of fans on baseball with his exceptional skills and playing style. Rest in peace Willie Mays.
The Look Ahead
Cole Ragans STRIKEOUTS – With a line of 7.5 strikeouts, we’re actually eying the under here. Ragans has been really good this season, with more strikeouts than all but three other pitchers in MLB and a top-10 K/9 ratio. But he’s also generated 8+ strikeouts just twice in his last seven starts; one of those starts came against today’s opponent, the Oakland A’s, and he finished his start with seven whiffs. As a plus-money play at both FanDuel and DraftKings, it’s tempting to fade Ragans tonight.
