The Detroit Red Wings recently traded for defenseman Jeff Petry, giving the roster a player with strong Michigan ties.
Petry grew up in the state while his father, Dan, was a member of the Detroit Tigers’ 1984 World Series team. Petry remained in Michigan during his college days, playing hockey at Michigan State. Now, he has a chance to wrap up his professional career in Michigan.
“I want to play here and I’ve wanted to my whole life,” Petry told the local media.
The addition of Petry certainly piqued the interest of some Red Wings’ fans, but are Petry and the Red Wings ready for a return to the NHL Playoffs for the first time since 2015-16?
Plus odds to make postseason
FanDuel, one of the mobile sports betting apps available in Michigan, gives the Red Wings +200 odds to make the playoffs in 2023-24. Those are the fourth-longest odds of any team in the Eastern Conference.
Detroit is +5500 to win the Stanley Cup on FanDuel, the eighth-longest odds of any NHL franchise. Other sportsbooks have similarly long odds for the Red Wings.
DraftKings lists Detroit at +7500 to hoist the Stanley Cup next season, and the Red Wings are +3000 to win the Eastern Conference on the betting app. BetMGM gives Detroit +5000 odds to win the Stanley Cup, while Caesars Sportsbook like DraftKings lists the Red Wings at +7500.
Regardless of the mobile sportsbook, the Red Wings aren’t viewed as top title contenders. The franchise appears at least a couple years away from completing a rebuild that can produce potential Stanley Cup contention.
The Hurricanes, Maple Leafs, and Oilers are among the teams expected to compete for a championship during the 2023-24 season, which begins in October.
Lions carrying Michigan’s torch?
The Red Wings are not the only Detroit franchise facing long odds this year, as the Detroit Tigers sit well outside the postseason picture entering the stretch run of the MLB season.
Meanwhile, FanDuel gives the Detroit Pistons +50000 odds to win the NBA Championship. That longshot status matches the Wizards and Hornets for teams with the longest odds to win the title in the 2023-24 season.
With those three teams struggling, it’s the Detroit Lions who appear the most title-ready of Detroit’s four major professional sports teams. Detroit is the NFC North betting favorite, although the Lions haven’t won a playoff game since 1991.
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