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Stanley Cup Odds: Cha-Ching With Wild Card Pick
We’ve arrived at the start of the next eight greatest weeks in hockey fans’ lives. But for those betting on the NHL’s Stanley Cup odds, you only have one shot at feeling the great vibes – if you bet the right pick. Good luck with that as you have a 1-in-16 chance of getting it right. We won’t tout the correct pick here, but we’ll break down one awesome line against a lot of gross ones.
Oh (No!) Canada: Fade Canadian Teams
We hold nothing against our nice neighbors to the north. But when it comes to winning Stanley Cups, their teams stink. There is a reason why a Canadian team has not won the Cup in over 30 years. We’ll give props to Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews. They are generational talents, but one superstar does not make a title-winning team. As such, bet online against these odds:
- Edmonton Oilers +800
- Vancouver Canucks +1400
- Toronto Maple Leafs +1400
- Winnipeg Jets +1500
The Oilers can’t get over the hump because, outside of McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, they do not have reliable scorers. Their goaltending is “mid” at best. And we’ll gladly take four other Western Conference teams over them. And that does not include Winnipeg, which is the biggest “pretender” in this tournament.
The Jets overachieved in the regular season. They finished strong and even swept the mighty Avalanche in their three meetings. But the Jets’ best skaters fade in the playoffs and Connor Hellebuyck is overworked. He’ll break deep in the playoffs.
As for Vancouver, it’s too much too soon for these kids. The Canucks had a nice little run during the Covid playoffs but that’s it. A grizzled team will expose them. Heck, Nashville might do it in the first round. As for Toronto, it’s too easy of a Stanley Cup prediction. The Maple Leafs lose in Round 1.
Not My Stanley Cup Favorites
Another group we’d like to fade is the contenders with the shortest NHL odds. The Carolina Hurricanes and Dallas Stars are listed at +700 to win the Cup. They’re solid choices except for this fact: a team with the shortest Stanley Cup odds, just before the playoffs, has won it just once (Colorado in 2022) in the last 15 seasons.
Carolina and Dallas have few, if any, weaknesses. They are in the top 10 in both offense and defense. Their goaltenders are good enough to win. And they have multiple star players. But, they have some fatal flaws.
The Hurricanes still lack that bon-afide scorer that can push them over the hump. Sorry, Jake Guentezel. And Dallas is vulnerable on the backend. The Stars gave up 3+ goals in 12 of its 24 games against the Western Conference playoff teams. They are only 3-9 in these contests.
At some point, Dallas or Carolina will face a hot team like Colorado or Florida. And when the you-know-what hits the fan, they may just fall short.
The Best Bet to Win the Stanley Cup
We had to wrestle with a selection of former champions here. We love Colorado at +800 or Vegas at +1100. But you can’t beat the Tampa Bay Lightning with a line at +2200. Talk about a generous price tag offered by the sportsbook
The last time we checked, the Lightning still had the core of its back-to-back championship-winning teams. Nikita Kucherov is unstoppable. Andrei Vasilevskiy is still elite in net. And Tampa Bay has arguably the best special teams in the NHL.
The area that’s lacking in this team is its depth. Gone are the bottom-six studs the Lightning had in their title runs. But that’s not to dismiss what players like Austin Watson and Mitchell Chaffee are doing. The Bolts need these guys, and especially Tanner Jeannot, to step up. We’re putting our faith in that they do.
Losing to Toronto in the first round last season was also a blessing in disguise. It allowed Tampa Bay to get some much-needed rest for one final run. And we’re betting online that the Lightning overcome the odds and become the first Wild Card team to capture the Cup.
