The Frozen Four field is set, and Western Michigan is on the short list of contenders to win it all.
Even though the Broncos are making their first Frozen Four appearance, and are surrounded by legacy programs amid the remaining contenders, they have the second-shortest odds to win the national championship.
If you’re interested in betting on a Frozen Four championship future, here is where the odds stand at the best Michigan sportsbooks as the tournament shifts to the national semifinals in St. Louis.
Odds are via BetMGM and are current as of April 4, 2025
Denver will be Western Michigan’s opponent, and the Pioneers are a slight -135 moneyline favorite. It’s safe to believe the winner of that game will ultimately win the national championship.
The Pioneers are the reigning national champs and are back in the Frozen Four for the sixth time in the past nine seasons.
Aside from its astounding legacy, Denver also unseated the No. 1 overall seed, Boston College, 3-1 in the Manchester Regional final Sunday. The Pioneers are led by 2024 12th-overall pick defenseman Zeev Buium and a roster loaded with NHL draft picks.
The Pioneers lead the nation in goals per game (4.00) and have a plus-81 goal differential.
The Broncos are flying a little under the radar. They were the No. 4 overall seed and opened the tournament with the third-shortest national-championship odds but are not the favorite even though the Broncos are the lone top seed remaining.
Aiding WMU’s cause is the fact it has beaten Denver twice this season, including its double-OT win in the NCHC Championship. The teams are super-close, talent-wise, since the previous three games were one-goal affairs, with two decided in overtime.
The winner of WMU/Denver will be the bona fide favorite, since each team has been far stingier than either Penn State or BU. The Broncos ranked fourth in D1 in goals-against per game (2.05) and have allowed two goals in their two regional wins over Minnesota State and UMass.
This wasn’t necessarily supposed to be a banner year for BU, especially after losing superstar freshman Macklin Celebrini to the NHL Draft after it fell in the national semifinals to Denver last season.
But Jay Pandolfo’s Terriers already won the Beanpot and are trying to add their first national championship since 2009 to the trophy case as well. But BU has allowed 2.95 goals per game during this season, which was 36th among the 50 D1 teams.
Still, the Terriers are a heavy favorite to defeat Penn State in the other national semifinal — BU’s -160 moneyline odds indicate a 61.5 percent implied probability of playing for the title.
The Nittany Lions finished fifth in the Big Ten, and were the last at-large team chosen for the tournament. Yet, they made the selection committee look good by stunning heavily favored Hockey East powers Maine and UConn to win the Allentown regional.
This is the first Frozen Four appearance in school history, but the pressure will be off since the Nittany Lions are a distant fourth. But Penn State has a puncher’s chance to win the title since it has been one of the nation’s hottest teams by winning 19 of its past 24 games.
The Broncos’ odds are still solid value, even though they opened as the team with the third-shortest odds and the two teams ahead of them, BC and Michigan State, each went down in the regionals.
Yet, the Eagles and Spartans losing opened the tournament for WMU. The Broncos had not beaten either BC or MSU during the season, but they have already defeated Denver twice, including their come-from-behind 4-3 double-OT win in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Championship.
Western has won eight straight games and is the lone No. 1 seed remaining in the field. Yet, with the third-shortest odds at some sportsbooks, it is being disrespected with the long odds.
Yet, those odds could be your gain, since a wager on Western will fetch $2.50 profit-per-dollar bet.
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