NHL Stanley Cup Betting Odds: Conn Smythe Trophy Series MVP Predictions

by Alan Harris - 6/1/2015

Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews

With the Stanley Cup Finals getting underway on Wednesday night in Tampa Bay, let's take a look at the odds to win the Conn Smythe Trophy (Series MVP) from our friends over at Bovada. In this article I will go over some favorites as well as long shots and try to provide readers with the best value bets to make for what should be a great series starting later this week.

Jonathan Toews (Chicago) - 7/2

Tyler Johnson (Tampa) - 4/1

Patrick Kane (Chicago) - 9/2

Duncan Keith (Chicago) - 5/1

Ben Bishop (Tampa) - 5/1

Steven Stamkos (Tampa) - 8/1

Corey Crawford (Chicago) - 12/1

Nikita Kucherov (Tampa) - 15/1

Marian Hossa (Chicago) - 25/1

Patrick Sharp (Chicago) - 25/1

Victor Hedman (Tampa) - 35/1

Brent Seabrook (Chicago) - 40/1

Alex Killorn (Tampa) - 40/1

Ondrej Palat (Tampa) - 40/1

Valtteri Filppula (Tampa) - 40/1

Brad Richards (Chicago) - 50/1

Here are our picks (One favorite and one long shot from each side) to go on and win the award.

Jonathan Toews (Chicago) - 7/2

The 7/2 price here on Toews actually seems pretty cheap in our eyes. He is the leader on this team both on and off the ice, and he always shows up on the big stage with a big performance. Evidence of this was on display in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals when he scored twice to give his team an early 2-0 lead over the Ducks, and the team never really looked back after that. He will need a few of these same types of performances for the Hawks to beat Tampa Bay, but there's no question he has it in him. The guy has won everywhere he's gone, including two Frozen Four appearances at North Dakota, gold medals at the 2006 and 2007 World Juniors, 2007 World Championships and 2010 Winter Olympics. He already has two Stanley Cup Titles with the Hawks in 2010 and 2013 to go along with the Conn Smythe in the 2010 Finals. He's the odds-on favorite to win the award here in 2015 and our pick to win it if the Hawks go on to hoist The Cup.

Patrick Sharp (Chicago) - 25/1

Call this a gut feeling, but we think that Patrick Sharp, a guy that has been up and down here in the 2015 playoffs, will play a big part in the Stanley Cup Finals. He has lit the lamp just four times in 17 playoff games, but he has a knack for scoring big goals, as evidenced by his three game-winners during Chicago's Cup runs in 2010 and 2013. The four-time 30 goal scorer has one overtime playoff winner in his career, and in a series that we feel will go six or seven close games, a guy with his playoff experience is priceless. The 25/1 price tag on Sharp seems a bit low, so a flyer on him at this price is definitely worth a few dollars where one or two game-winners could bring home the trophy.

Ben Bishop (Tampa) - 5/1

If the Tampa Bay Lightning are going to win their second Stanley Cup in franchise history, they are going to need goalie Ben Bishop to stand on his head against a high-powered Chicago Blackhawks offensive unit. Bishop has been good here in the playoffs, posting a 12-8 record with a 2.15 GAA and .920 save percentage, and he is no question the hotter goalie coming into the game when being compared to Hawks net minder Corey Crawford. This is Bishop's first taste of playoff hockey, and he hasn't been phased one bit, winning two Game 7s, including one at Madison Square Garden, where the Rangers were a perfect 7-0 in franchise history before their loss to Bishop and the Lightning. If the Lightning win the Cup, Bishop is going to play a huge role in their victory, and awarding him with the MVP Trophy really isn't far fetched at all and is probably worth a play at the current 5/1 price.

Steven Stamkos (Tampa) - 8/1

We may lean to the Chicago Blackhawks to win the Stanley Cup Finals over the Lightning, but getting Steven Stamkos at an 8/1 price to win the Conn Smythe Trophy seems a bit ridiculous. The two-time 50 goal scorer once again led the team in goals this year with 43, and for Tampa to have a shot at beating Chicago, they are going to need Stamkos to light the lamp. He has been good here in the playoffs with 17 points (7 goals, 10 assists) in 20 games played, and he is the key to Tampa's successful power play. Tyler Johnson is the favorite on the Lightning to win the MVP due to the fact that he has played out of his mind in the first three rounds of the playoffs, but playing on the first power play with Stamkos at the point has been a huge part of his success. We'll take the proven goal scorer here in Stamkos at double the odds compared to the guy that many think may be a flash in the pan in Johnson to win the Conn Smythe if Tampa happens to win the Cup.

Alan Harris finished up the month of May, his first here with the team at Doc's Sports turning a profit of $2,045 on the diamond. He is now an impressive 14-7 (67%) in his plays ranked 5 Units and higher and he's looking to add to the profits here in June. He will also be handicapping the WNBA starting on 6/5 and the CFL, kicking off on 6/25 as he looks to continue to bring in cash for his clients during the long summer months. You can find more info about his picks here. Also, get $60 worth of free picks from Harris - these are the same high-quality picks that members get every day - free and with no obligation. Click here for a quick signup.

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