The Eastern Conference playoff race is going to go down to the wire.
The Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers are tied for the last wild-card berth with 79 points, though the Habs currently occupy the spot because they’ve played 74 games compared to the Rangers’ 75.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are also still in the thick of the race with 77 points from 73 games played.
Montreal is in action against Boston on Thursday night, while the Blue Jackets take on the Colorado Avalanche. The Rangers don’t play again until Saturday’s tilt with the Devils.
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The bookmakers believe the Habs are in the pole position to nab the final wild-card spot, and while they have the best odds to get into the playoffs of the teams still in the mix, they aren’t odds-on.
Montreal is +120 to make the playoffs at bet365 sportsbook, just ahead of the Rangers (+180) and a jump above the Jackets (+320).
Eastern Conference playoff race odds
| Team | Odds | Points | Games Played |
| Montreal Canadiens | +120 | 79 | 74 |
| New York Rangers | +180 | 79 | 75 |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | +320 | 77 | 73 |
When you convert those odds to implied probability, you get 45.5% for Montreal, 35.7% for the Rangers, and 23.8% for the Blue Jackets.
Part of the reason that the Canadiens are the favorite to get into the dance is that they have a much easier remaining schedule compared to the Blueshirts and Blue Jackets.
Montreal’s remaining opponents have an average points percentage of .506, which is well short of the Rangers (.579) and Blue Jackets (.583).
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
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