2020 Stanley Cup Odds/NHL Championship Odds: It’s Still Tampa Time
This is March. Sure, March Madness is the sports highlight of the month – and for good reason – but the race is heating up for the 2020 Stanley Cup in the NHL. But with so little time left in the regular season the Stanley Cup odds are beginning to take shape as a few contenders are surging up the charts.
2020 STANLEY CUP Odds
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Tampa Bay Lightning (87 points; Stanley Cup Odds/NHL Championship Odds: +475)
The Tampa Bay Lightning’s odds to win the Stanley Cup have finally come down to a point where it’s questionable if it’s worth betting on them. Before, at +700 or +800, they could provide some value. Now at only +475, it’s harder to justify.
However, they are still the best team in the league. They have a high-powered offense, even with Steven Stamkos out, a deep defense, and a very good goalie in Andrei Vasilevskiy.
The Lightning’s path in the playoffs is worth looking at. They will almost definitely play the Boston Bruins in the first round. The Bruins (94 points) and Lightning (87 points) are well ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs (78 points) in the Atlantic Division.
The Lightning are 2-0-0 against the Bruins so far this season. They won 4-3 in a shootout back in October and eked out a 3-2 win at home in December. They have two tests coming up this week on March 3 and March 7.
It’s still worth betting on the Lightning at +475, but a few of these other teams provide much better value.
Philadelphia Flyers (83 points; Stanley Cup Odds/NHL Championship Odds: +1600)
The Philadelphia hockey team is Flying up the charts. They are the hottest team in the league with a six-game winning streak and some places have them as the team with the best chance to win the Stanley Cup.
The Flyers have a deep offense with a mix of veteran forwards like Claude Giroux, Jake Voracek, Sean Couturier and Kevin Hayes, and young guys like Travis Konecny, Scott Laughton, and Nicolas Aube-Kubel filling in. Their defense is solid after a few years, and it looks like they finally have a goalie in Carter Hart.
The Flyers are the team to bet on at +1600.
If you’re looking for a longshot (even longer than +1600) …
Toronto Maple Leafs (78 points; Stanley Cup Odds/NHL Championship Odds: +2000)
The Leafs have had some turmoil recently, but they are a talented bunch that could put it together and run through the playoffs.
Edmonton Oilers (78 points; Stanley Cup Odds/NHL Championship Odds: +2400)
Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid are carrying the Edmonton Oilers to the playoffs. Could they carry them to the Cup?
