Very few teams have been playing the type of hockey that the Colorado Avalanche have employed for the better part of the 2020-21 NHL Season. As of April 16, the Avalanche are 13-0-2 in their last 15 games. They also have 56 points on the season, which puts them into a tie for first in the NHL. Because of this dominance, BetOnline has improved the Avalanche’s odds of winning this season’s Stanley Cup.
At +425, Colorado is by far the favorite to hoist the Stanley Cup at the end of the playoffs. Other teams that have favorable odds include the Tampa Bay Lightning (+700) and the Vegas Golden Knights (+750).
It’s been 20 years since the last time the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup, so even winning it in a 56-game season would be welcomed by the organization’s fans.
While the Avalanche might have the best odds at the beginning of April, things can change with most teams having a little less than 20 games remaining. With that being said, here are BetOnline’s current Stanley Cup odds.
2020-21 Stanley Cup Odds
Odds via BetOnline as of Wednesday, April 7
- Colorado Avalanche +425
- Tampa Bay Lightning +700
- Vegas Golden Knights +750
- Toronto Maple Leafs +800
- New York Islanders +1200
- Washington Capitals +1200
- Carolina Hurricanes +1400
- Florida Panthers +1600
- Boston Bruins +1600
- Pittsburgh Penguins +1800
- Minnesota Wild +2200
- Edmonton Oilers +2500
- Montreal Canadiens +2500
- Winnipeg Jets +2500
- Dallas Stars +5000
- New York Rangers +5000
- Philadelphia Flyers +6000
- St. Louis Blues +6600
- Arizona Coyotes +6600
- Calgary Flames +6600
- Nashville Predators +6600
- Chicago Blackhawks +8000
- Columbus Blue Jackets +10000
- San Jose Sharks +12500
- Los Angeles Kings +12500
- Vancouver Canucks +15000
- New Jersey Devils +50000
- Anaheim Ducks +150000
- Detroit Red Wings +250000
- Ottawa Senators +250000
Can Anyone Stop the Avalanche From Having Top Stanley Cup Odds?
Could the Colorado Avalanche win the Stanley Cup for the first time in 20 years? Oddsmakers seem to think so, judging by how the team has performed through its 38 games. For starters, the Avalanche have a +50 goal differential while allowing just 2.29 goals per game.
While the Avalanche have been doing a great job at keeping the puck out of their net, they’ve also done a tremendous job at scoring. The team has three players who are a point per game this season: Nathan MacKinnon (45 points in 34 games), Mikko Rantanen (44 points in 38 games) and Gabriel Landeskog (37 points in 36 games). On defense, Samuel Girard (36GP 5G 25A) and Cale Makar (26GP 4G 21A) have been offensive fixtures as well. If the entire team keeps playing this way, the Avalanche could be Stanley Cup favorites for the rest of the season.
Toronto Maple Leafs Remain First in North Division
When the NHL announced its four temporary divisional formats for the 2020-21 Season, some experts thought the Maples Leafs may end up dominating the North Division. Although, maybe not to this level. In an 82-game season, Toronto would be on pace for 55 wins.
A large part of their success has been thanks to Auston Matthews. The Arizona native leads the league with 27 goals in 36 games. He’s also been in conversations for the Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL’s Most Valuable Player.
Not to be outdone by Matthews, Mitch Marner has also been a key part of the Maple Leafs’ success. The 23-year-old leads Toronto with 47 points. However, Marner and Matthews are both in the top-5 for points in the NHL this season as of April 6.
Florida Panthers Shocking the League
For years, the Florida Panthers have been one of the most disappointing teams in the NHL. After all, the team has not won a playoff series since 1996 — 25 years ago. However, the Panthers seem poised to change things this season. Their 56 points have them atop the Central Division and tied for first in the NHL with the Avalanche. While they lost defenseman Aaron Ekblad for the season, it hasn’t slowed them down as much as expected. As of April 6, the Panthers have won their last six games in a row.
Jonathan Huberdeau (39GP 14G 28A) and Aleksander Barkov (33GP 14G 26A) have been playing some of the best hockey of their careers this season. Goaltender Chris Driedger is breaking out at 26 years old. He has an 11-4-2 record on the season with a 2.05 goals against average and .931 save percentage with two shutouts.
Betting on Stanley Cup Odds and NHL Futures
The Stanley Cup is one of the most iconic trophies in all of sports. While it’s fun watching it be presented, it’s also fun betting on who it will be awarded to. Once you’ve signed up with a sportsbook, you can start wagering on who the 2020-21 Stanley Cup Champions will be.
If you plan on wagering on Stanley Cup odds or NHL futures in general, you may run into these terms:
- Moneyline: Betting on which team will win.
- Point Spread: Betting on whether a specific team will win a game by a certain margin.
- Over/Under: A type of bet where you have to predict whether or not two teams will combine for more (Over) or less (Under) than a given point total.
- Props: Fun and sometimes strange bets that might have nothing to do with the outcome of a game/championship.
- Futures: Bets for games or events that are placed days, weeks or months in advance.
No matter what type of wager you’re making, you’ll see lines that indicate how much you could win. If you bet $100 on BetOnline that the Maple Leafs at +650 to win the Stanley Cup and they do, you’ll win $650! If you bet money on a line with a negative sign (-), that number indicates how much money you need to spend to win $100.
For example, if a team was -200 favorites to win the Stanley Cup, you’d have to bet $200 to win $100.
NHL Futures
Stanley Cup odds are an example of NHL future bets. The championship is months away from being won, however, you can still bet on it now. The thing to remember about futures is that they are unpredictable. Even though a team like the Golden Knights is playing well now, a major injury or losing streak could derail their season. In that case, sportsbooks would probably adjust their odds accordingly.
Sports betting is always unpredictable, which is why research is important. No matter how much sports betting experience you have, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Even the most experienced and successful bettors will research trends and news before putting their money down on a team. Whether it’s researching a team’s recent playoff history or finding out which players are on a hot streak, five minutes of research can make a difference.