Heading into final few weeks of February, the postseason picture for this season’s NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs starting in early April is beginning to take shape.
With one heavy favorite at the top of the list when it comes to the NHL futures odds to win the Stanley Cup, the rest of the top contenders are looking to close that gap. If you are looking for the best value in the posted odds at 5Dimes online sportsbook, there are a pair of viable options.
Betting the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Championship Futures – Top Favorite
There is only one team in this category for a good reason. With two-thirds of the 82-game regular season schedule in the books, the Tampa Bay Lightning have clearly established themselves as the team to beat. The betting odds they win this year’s Stanley Cup are set at +375.
Following last year’s disappointing loss in the Eastern Conference Finals as favorites against Washington, the Lightning has been playing like a team possessed all season long. They have opened up a 15-point lead over the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division with 88 points in 57 games. Tampa Bay has gone 22-5-2 on its home ice with an equally impressive 20-6-2 record on the road.
Behind a scoring average of 3.84 that is ranked first in the NHL complementing a goals-against average of 2.77, there are no weak spots on this team. Tampa Bay also has the best power play in the league to go with a penalty kill percentage (84.2) that is ranked third.
You should have probably bet the Lightning to win it all much earlier in the year to get the best value, but there is still some tremendous upside in their current +375 odds at this part of the season. This number is only going to come down from here.
Betting the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Championship Futures – Top Contenders
The second-favorite on the list is Toronto at +750 betting odds. The Maple Leafs’ 73 total points through 56 games are the second-most in the East and third-most in the NHL. Toronto also has a solid balance on each end of the ice with 3.57 goals a game complementing a GAA of 2.84. The Leafs have also put up some solid numbers when it comes to the “power play” each way. They actually have a better record on the road (18-7-2) that at home (17-11-1) which is another big plus.
The most significant drain on these +750 futures odds to win the Stanley Cup would be an all-or-nothing bet on Toronto finding a way to get past Tampa Bay in a best-of-seven series. The Leafs have been able to split two games against the Lightning on the road this season with a pair of games at home still on the slate. If Toronto can find a way to win that best-of-seven matchup in the postseason, it would have a pretty clear path an NHL title.
The Winnipeg Jets are third on the list at +850 as the top team in the Western Conference. They are closely followed by the San Jose Sharks (+875) and the Calgary Flames (+900). Of the three, the best value would be San Jose in light of a veteran lineup with a vast amount of experience in the postseason. However, you would have to question if any team from the West can take down Tampa Bay or even Toronto in a best-of-seven series in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Moving further down the list, the Nashville Predators are next at +1100 followed by the Vegas Golden Knights at +1150. The odds continue to drop off from there with the New York Islanders listed at +1550 just ahead of the defending NHL Champion Washington Capitals’ +1700 odds to repeat.
NHL Stanley Cup Championship Odds Posted at Bovada Sportsbook 03/04/2019
- Tampa Bay Lightning +225
- Calgary Flames +700
- San Jose Sharks +700
- Toronto Maple Leafs +750
- Winnipeg Jets +850
- Boston Bruins +900
- Nashville Predators +1200
- New York Islanders +1600
- Pittsburgh Penguins +1700
- St. Louis Blues +1800
- Columbus Blue Jackets +2000
- Washington Capitals +2000
- Vegas Golden Knights +2200
- Montreal Canadiens +2500
- Carolina Hurricanes +3000
- Dallas Stars +4500
- Minnesota Wild +5500
- Colorado Avalanche +6600
- Arizona Coyotes +7500
- Chicago Blackhawks +7500
- Edmonton Oilers +7500
- Philadelphia Flyers +7500
- Buffalo Sabres +10000
- Florida Panthers +15000
- Vancouver Canucks +15000
- New York Rangers +25000
- Anaheim Ducks +30000
- Detroit Red Wings +30000
- Los Angeles Kings +30000
- Ottawa Senators +35000
- New Jersey Devils +50000
