The NHL season is right around the corner, with preseason play opening up across the league.
That means the NHL odds market is in full swing – and bettors are looking at a familiar face as the best place to find value in futures bets.
The Avalanche represent the biggest liability at BetMGM thus far in the NHL – and by some margin.
Last year's Stanley Cup champion has attracted both the most betting tickets (22.3%) and largest percentage of dollars wagered (33.5%) than any other hockey team.
Colorado was dominant throughout last season, securing the most points in the regular season and carving through teams in the playoffs. They're listed at +450 to repeat to open this season, and you can view all teams' odds here.
The next most-popular team in the Stanley Cup Finals market are the Rangers (+1800), who account for 9.1% of the wagers and 13.3% of the handle.
New York was able to get through two, tough, seven-game series in the playoffs last year before falling in the conference finals.
Canada's favorite hockey team, the Maple Leafs (+800), are the third-biggest liabilities, tallying 6.7% of the wagers and 7.1% of the handle in the Cup Finals market.
As you might expect, the Rangers are the biggest threat for books to win the Eastern Conference, while the top Western Conference liability is Colorado.
New York's listed at +900 to take the East while the Avalanche are a short +150 to win the West.
Regular-season play begins on October 7, when the Predators take on the Sharks in Prague.
