We are nearing the busiest time in the NHL regular season where teams near the top of the standings stock up on rental players for the playoffs while others are trying desperately to save their season and make sure they are still on the ice come spring. We look at the favorites, longshots, and all the odds to bring home Lord Stanley’s Cup this June.
Atlantic Division rivals Tampa Bay and Boston lead the way as betting favorites at online sportsbook Bet365 (as of Feb. 19, 2020). Through 60 games each, the Lightning trail the Bruins by one point in the standings but oddsmakers seem to lean towards Tampa Bay making a deeper run into the playoffs.
The Toronto Maple Leafs, a Stanley Cup betting favorite for some before the season began, have underachieved all season. They are currently clinging to a playoff spot and their futures odds have dropped to +2,200 after being as short as +800 earlier this season.
The Edmonton Oilers have improved on their opening odds on the back of Leon Draisitl and Connor McDavid having stellar campaigns and they now sit at +1,800. The Dallas Stars, who have won 13 of 19 in 2020, have seen their stock creep to a promising +1,100, while the defending-champion St. Louis Blues currently sit at +1,000.
Odds to win the 2019-20 Stanley Cup
| Team | Odds to win 2019-20 Stanley Cup |
|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Lightning | +450 |
| Boston Bruins | +550 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | +800 |
| St Louis Blues | +1,000 |
| Dallas Stars | +1,100 |
| Colorado Avalanche | +1,100 |
| Washington Capitals | +1,100 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | +1,500 |
| Edmonton Oilers | +1,800 |
| Vancouver Canucks | +2,200 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | +2,200 |
| New York Islanders | +2,200 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | +2,200 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | +2,200 |
| Colombus Blue Jackets | +2,800 |
| Calgary Flames | +2,800 |
| Arizona Coyotes | +3,000 |
| Florida Panthers | +3,000 |
| Nashville Predators | +3,500 |
| Winnipeg Jets | +3,500 |
| Minnesota Wild | +5,500 |
| New York Rangers | +6,000 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | +6,600 |
| Buffalo Sabres | +15,000 |
| Montreal Canadiens | +17,500 |
| San Jose Sharks | +20,000 |
| Anahiem Ducks | +30,000 |
| Los Angeles Kings | +150,000 |
| New Jersey Devils | +150,000 |
| Ottawa Senators | +150,000 |
| Detroit Red Wings | +499,900 |
Understanding Stanley Cup Odds
Sportsbooks will post odds for the Stanley Cup before the season starts. These odds are constantly adjusted throughout the offseason as players get hurt, suspended or are traded. Once the regular season begins, title odds will change daily as teams win and lose games and as more players get hurt, suspended or traded. Sportsbooks will also adjust the NHL odds based on handle and liability to certain teams.
Stanley Cup odds will usually look like this:
- Washington Capitals +250
This means that on a $100 bet, you’ll stand to win $250 if the Caps win the Stanley Cup. If it’s close to the end of the regular season or even during the playoffs and the NHL has a very dominant team, you might see that a team is has a minus sign (-) ahead of its odds.
- Tampa Bay Lightning -120
This means that you would need to bet $120 to win $100 on a Lightning Stanley Cup win.
Above we have posted the American odds for the Stanley Cup. However, these are easy to convert to decimal odds or fractional odds with our odds converter tool.
How to bet NHL Futures Odds
There are many strategies to consider when making a futures bet on the winner of the Stanley Cup Finals. Obviously, you’re looking to bet on who you think can make it through the NHL playoffs and come out on top. So just because a team is in first place at midseason, doesn’t mean that’s the team to beat come May and June.
One thing to consider is the current NHL playoffs format, where the top three teams from each conference plus two wild card teams make up the eight teams from each conference. Then, a team needs to win its way out of its division before getting to the conference championship round. This season, Tampa Bay and Boston are the two top teams in the entire league but they are on a collision course to meet in the second round of the playoffs.
Also, consider how an injury may affect a futures bet. Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy is playing out of his mind at the moment and hasn’t lost in regulation since Dec. 14, 2019. But what if he gets hurt? Tampa Bay would then turn to backup Curtis McElhinney and its odds would drop considerably, meaning there would be value in other Eastern Conference teams like the Bruins and Penguins.
Finally, the trade deadline occurs on February 24, 2020. Almost every year, some contenders will make big moves to bolster their rosters — and their odds to win it all. Keep an eye on trade moves and if you see a contender add an impact player, try to get your bet in before oddsmakers update the lines.
