The intrigue for the 2021 Frozen Four begins with two recent power programs listed as dogs in their semifinal games. The Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs are two-time defending national champions but slight underdogs to the Massachusetts (UMass) Minutemen. And the St. Cloud State Huskies are a dog to the far lesser-known Minnesota State Mavericks. Three of the Frozen Four teams are from Minnesota, the self-proclaimed "State of Hockey." Gamblers will notice relatively small prices on the favorites, which is a crucial indicator that we have four evenly matched teams capable of winning it all.
2021 NCAA Frozen Four Betting
When:
Thursday, April 8, 2021, 5 p.m. ET and 9 p.m. ET (Semifinal Games)
Saturday, April 10, 2021, 7 p.m. ET (National Championship Game)
Where: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
TV: ESPN2
BookMaker NCAA Hockey Odds
Minnesota-Duluth +113 vs. Massachusetts -137, OU 5
Minnesota State -126 vs. St. Cloud State +102 OU 5.5
NCAA Hockey Frozen Four Bookmaker Wagering Analysis
College hockey specialists will take a good hard look at Minnesota-Duluth. The Bulldogs have a proven track record of national championships. UMass is a newer power that was the 2019 runner-up in the Frozen Four. The Minutemen are "new money" to gamblers and in just their second Frozen Four. Minnesota State is another new emerging power in their first-ever Frozen Four. In comparison, St. Cloud State is a regular NCAA Tournament team that hasn't ever been able to finish.
Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs
The Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs are 15-10-2, which pales compared to their 17-5-2 mark of 2019-20. Head coach Scott Sandelin is in his 21st season behind the bench for the Bulldogs. He has done what many considered impossible in making Duluth the top program in the state. In the 2021 NCAA Tournament, Minnesota-Duluth beat North Dakota 3-2 in an instant five-overtime classic. Junior forward Cole Koepke has a team-best 14 goals to go with eight assists and a plus-three. Freshman goaltender Zach Stejskal has a .934 save percentage, while sophomore Ryan Fanti is at .907. Fanti saw most of the action this season, but Stejskal made 55 saves in 124:37 minutes of action in the win over North Dakota.
UMass Minutemen
The Massachusetts Minutemen are 18-5-4 and won the Hockey East Tournament. In the NCAA Tournament, UMass beat Luke Superior (5-1) and Bemidji State (4-0). Senior forward Carson Gicewicz has a team-best 17 goals to go with seven assists and a plus-8. Junior forward Bobby Trivigno adds ten goals, 21 assists, and a whopping plus-19. Junior goaltender Filip Lindberg has a stellar .946 save percentage, 1.33 goals against average, and a 9-1-4 record. He has allowed just one goal on 48 shots in the NCAA Tournament.
Minnesota State Mavericks
The Minnesota State Mavericks have a record of 22-4-1 and won the WCHA regular season championship. Although the Mavericks aren't well known, they have made the NCAA Tournament six times since 2013. In the 2021 NCAA Hockey Tournament, they beat Quinnipiac (4-3 OT) and Minnesota (4-0). Junior forward Julian Napravnik leads with ten goals, 17 assists, and a plus-16. Junior goaltender Dryden McKay dominated with a .931 save percentage, 1.39 goals against average, and a 21-3 record.
St. Cloud State Huskies
The St. Cloud State Huskies have a record of 19-10 and boasted NCAA Tournament wins over Boston University (6-2) and Boston College (4-1). This is the Huskies' second-ever Frozen Four appearance. They have never made the national championship game even though they have ten NCAA Tournament appearances since 2007. Veeti Miettinen is a freshman forward that leads St. Cloud State with 11 goals, 13 assists, and a plus-nine. Senior goalie David Hrenak has a save percentage of .910, 2.51 goals against average, and a 16-9 record.
BookMaker Free Pick
In this situation, Minnesota-Duluth is the proven champion at an underdog price.
BookMaker Best Bet: Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs
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