While it’s still a bit early for us to start talking about the Stanley Cup and giving our NHL betting predictions about it, we already have a pretty much good idea about the teams that are likely to contend for it strongly, going by league standings midway through the month of February. With the NHL trade deadline set to take place soon, a couple of changes can be expected to take place in terms of team rosters, which would in turn lead to performance changes in the race for the playoffs and a chance to win the 2016 Stanley Cup. But before all that happens, here’s an updated look at the 2016 Stanley Cup NHL odds.
Updated NHL Stanley Cup Odds
Western Conference Stanley Cup Odds Update
Thanks to their four-game winning streak as we enter Tuesday’s NHL games, the Dallas Stars are seated at the helm of the Western Conference, though they are tied with the Chicago Blackhawks for similar points (79), with Chicago owning the advantage of having played three games less than the Stars. The Blackhawks have obviously been the better team for the season, a fact that can be attested to by their 7-2 demolition of the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday. Their success has largely been down to the excellent play of their star-studded team core of Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. And from the rudimentary look of things, their dominance won’t be changing any time soon. It therefore comes as no surprise that the Hawks have the shortest odds to win the 2016 Stanley Cup in the Western Conference, trading at +450 in our latest NHL lines. But even with their dominance and their strong bid to defend their Stanley Cup crown, the high-flying Hawks will need to be prepared for a very tough top-heavy field that includes the Stars (+550 odds to win the 2016 Stanley Cup), Los Angeles Kings (+700 to win the Cup), Anaheim Ducks (+1400) and St. Louis Blues (+1500). The Kings hold a comfortable 5-point lead in the Pacific Division, and after missing last year’s playoffs, they look destined to make some noise in this year’s postseason games. That said, they will be facing some stiff competition down the stretch from the resurgent Ducks that have been on a tear lately, going 8-1-1 in their last 10 games, something that makes Anaheim a sweet pick at its currently affordable price.Eastern Conference Stanley Cup Odds Update
To no one’s surprise, the Washington Capitals are not only favorites in the Eastern Conference to win the 2016 Stanley Cup, but their price is also the shortest in the entire NHL (trading at +250), making them the odds on favorite to win this year’s edition of the Presidents’ Trophy. Unlike the Western Conference that still has room for changes at the top of the standings; the Eastern Conference is emphatically dominated by the Caps, who have a 40-10-4 record to go along with 84 points in just 54 games. The closest team to the Caps in terms of points in the East is NHL’s surprise package, Florida, which spots a 33-18-6 record and 72 points 57 games, thanks mainly to the brilliant goaltending of the 36-year-old Roberto Luongo. Even so, the Panthers aren’t expected to offer much of a competition to the Caps in the East, with Florida trading at a distant +1400 in the latest Stanley Cup betting lines. Other teams that will be looking to unseat the Capitals in the East include the Tampa Bay Lightning (+1200), New York Rangers (+1400) and Pittsburgh Penguins (+1500). Of these three strongly-contending Eastern Conference teams, the star power of Henrik Lundqvist and Co. in the Rangers team (70 points in 56 games) gives them a shot at offering some good competition in the playoffs; the fact that the Lightning will reportedly not trade Steven Stamkos means there is some hope for Tampa Bay; while Pittsburgh is a perennially tough-to-beat team in the playoffs so I wouldn’t be keen to write them off this early. Still, with the manner in which Washington has been effortlessly dominant, it would be a big surprise not to see them go all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.Latest 2016 Stanley Cup Odds
- ANAHEIM DUCKS +1400
- ARIZONA COYOTES +4000
- BOSTON BRUINS +1600
- BUFFALO SABRES +45000
- CALGARY FLAMES +5500
- CAROLINA HURRICANES +7000
- CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS +450
- COLORADO AVALANCHE +3000
- COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS +40000
- DALLAS STARS +550
- DETROIT RED WINGS +1400
- EDMONTON OILERS +18000
- FLORIDA PANTHERS +1400
- LOS ANGELES KINGS +700
- MINNESOTA WILD +3000
- MONTREAL CANADIENS +2800
- NASHVILLE PREDATORS +2800
- NEW JERSEY DEVILS +3500
- NEW YORK ISLANDERS +2200
- NEW YORK RANGERS +1400
- OTTAWA SENATORS +4500
- PHILADELPHIA FLYERS +6000
- PITTSBURGH PENGUINS +1500
- SAN JOSE SHARKS +1400
- ST LOUIS BLUES +1500
- TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING +1200
- TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS +40000
- VANCOUVER CANUCKS +4000
- WASHINGTON CAPITALS +250
- WINNIPEG JETS +10000
