The NHL Olympic break has concluded, and there are fewer than 30 regular-season games remaining. The playoff picture is starting to become clearer, but there are some teams in unfamiliar territory, especially when it comes to betting odds on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Below, I’ll go over notable updated odds and line movement for the Stanley Cup winner, as well as each conference winner.
NHL Team Futures Betting Insights
Stanley Cup Winner Odds on DraftKings Sportsbook
Eastern Conference Winner Odds on DraftKings Sportsbook
Western Conference Winner Odds on DraftKings Sportsbook
Perhaps the most notable line movement is the fact that the Florida Panthers are now +3000 to win the Stanley Cup and +1500 to win the Eastern Conference. In fact, Florida holds +250 odds to even make the playoffs at this point in the season, as the club is dead-last in the Atlantic Division and third-to-last in the Eastern Conference with a 29-25-3 record and 61 points. Given how competitive the Atlantic Division has been this season, it’s hard to see the Panthers completing the coveted three-peat, let alone even punching a ticket into the postseason.
It sure looks like the Eastern Conference will come down to the Carolina Hurricanes or Tampa Bay Lightning, with each club knotted at 78 points apiece and neck-and-neck in terms of odds. Carolina opened as a slight favorite to win the conference, but now, 15% of the money and 27% of the bets lie with Tampa Bay to represent the Eastern Conference. Still, the Hurricanes have received healthy betting traction of their own, with 9% of the money and 25% of the bets on DraftKings Sportsbook backing them.
Time to talk about the top dog –– the Colorado Avalanche. While the club has come back down to Earth since the start of the new year, posting a 7-7-2 record, it still holds a five-point lead ahead of its next closest Western Conference foe, the Minnesota Wild. Besides, the Western Conference is incredibly top-heavy, and there are simply fewer teams to worry about making late-season pushes. The Avalanche are favored to win the Stanley Cup for a reason, and over 26% of the money and 32% of the bets lie with them to do so. Much like Colorado, the Edmonton Oilers also had an average start to the new year, which has resulted in the Vegas Golden Knights making the jump up to second-best odds for both the Stanley Cup and conference.
