Odds to win the Stanley Cup: Oilers leading, Golden Knights hold value
Three teams now sit inside 10-to-1 to take home the Stanley Cup this season.
The latest: The Edmonton Oilers still share the best odds to win the cup with the Colorado Avalanche as both teams continue to dominate. The Vegas Golden Knights stand out as our best value pick, while the Tampa Bay Lightning are becoming an increasingly intriguing option.
Odds to win the Stanley Cup
NHL oddsas of 3:50 p.m. on 02/07/2024.
Best odds to win the Stanley Cup
Edmonton has become a juggernaut over the last month and a half.
The Oilers won 16 games straight before losing to the Golden Knights, finishing just one win shy of tying the NHL record of 17. Edmonton outscored opponents 61-24 over this stretch and is now 21-4-0 over its last 25 games.
Consistent goaltending has been a key factor, as Stuart Skinner has been performing at an elite level. Skinner is 9-1 over his last 10 starts, boasting a goals against average of 1.40 and save percentage of .950 during that span.
It’s also no surprise that Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are leading from the front with 30 combined points over the last 10 games alone. Edmonton has received depth scoring on defence as well, with Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm combining for 62 points so far this season.
The Western Conference is full of challenging contenders, however, and the Oilers will likely have to get past either the Canucks or Golden Knights in the first round of the playoffs.
Other odds to win the Stanley Cup
The reigning Stanley Cup champions currently offer the best value on the board.
Vegas is fresh off ending Edmonton’s’ 16-game winning streak, defeating the Oilers 3-1 at T-Mobile Arena last night. The Golden Knights currently hold the ninth shortest odds despite being sixth overall in league standings with 66 points.
The return of Adin Hill in net is another reason why Vegas has found success recently. Hill boasts a 3-0 record with a .956 SV% and 1.67 GAA in three starts since coming back from injury.
The Golden Knights have also received key contributions across the lineup on offence, with seven different forwards already registering 25-plus points. Captain Mark Stone leads the way, notching 50 points through 51 games.
Vegas also has the eighth-easiest schedule remaining in the NHL, according to Tankathon. If the Golden Knights can maintain their current pace in the second half of the season, their Stanley Cup odds are likely to shorten even further.
NHL oddsas of 3:50 p.m. on 02/07/2024.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are emerging as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender out of the Eastern Conference.
The Lightning have won eight of their last nine games as the team continues to score at a ridiculously high rate. Tampa Bay averaged five goals per game and outscored opponents 40-19 over those eight wins.
Part of this recent success can be attributed to Tampa’s star players performing at an elite level. Nikita Kucherov has 21 points in his last 10 games alone, while Brayden Point has found the scoresheet in eight of his last 10 outings.
It’s also important to remember that Andrei Vasilevskiy has not played to his full potential yet, holding a 2.85 GAA and .899 SV% this season. If the Vezina Trophy winner gets rolling, Tampa will become even harder to play against.
The Lightning enjoy the benefit of having the 10th-easiest remaining schedule to finish the season. If Tampa Bay can maintain its position in the Atlantic Division and make the playoffs, history has shown it will be an extremely tough team to eliminate.
The Canadian teams
The NHL All-Star break is over and four Canadian teams still have 15-to-1 odds or shorter to win the Stanley Cup. The Western Conference has three Canadian contenders battling for playoff seeding, while the Maple Leafs are the sole Stanley Cup contenders from the Eastern Conference.
