2019-20 Stanley Cup Futures Odds Update

The NHL released its Stanley Cup playoffs plan last week and with 24 teams qualifying for the postseason, more teams have a shot at a championship than ever before.

In case you missed how the NHL playoffs will break down, the top 12 teams from each conference are included in qualifying play. The top four teams in each conference will play round-robin events to determine seeding for the first round. The remaining eight teams in each conference will be matched up in best-of-five play-in series to see who advances to the first round.

With the start of the playoffs still undetermined, the co-favorites to win the Cup at Bovada Sportsbook are the Boston Bruins and the Tampa Bay Lightning at +650.

Bruins, Bolts share top odds to win Stanley Cup

When the season was suspended, the Bruins led the league with 100 points. Boston fell one win short of a title last season, falling to the St. Louis Blues in the Cup finals in seven games.

The Lightning were the NHL’s best last season before getting upset in the opening round of the playoffs. The delayed start to the postseason may end up benefiting the Bolts as it has given Steven Stamkos time to recover from core-muscle surgery he had in February.

Following Boston and Tampa Bay on the Cup futures are the Colorado Avalanche at +700, and the Vegas Golden Knights and Philadelphia Flyers, both at +800.

The Avalanche will also benefit from the time off with Mikko Rantanen ready to return from injury. Colorado’s scoring depth, led by Nathan MacKinnon and bolstered by the likes of Gabriel Landeskog, Nazem Kadri and Cale Makar, could be difficult to contain over a playoff series.

Defending champs are +1200 to repeat

The Golden Knights will miss home-ice advantage if they’re not able to play in Vegas during the playoffs. During the regular season, 22 of the Golden Knights’ 39 wins in regulation came at home.

The Flyers were one of the hottest teams in the league when play was stopped with nine wins in their last 10 games. Can they pick up where they left off after being off the ice for a few months?

The reigning Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues are next at +1200, odds they share with the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Blues had the most points in the Western Conference and with their playoff experience, they could be worth taking a flyer on at +1200.

Washington and Pittsburgh have been at or near the top of the Metropolitan Division for over a decade. The Capitals get a bye into the first round, while Pittsburgh will have to win three extra games to win another Cup.

McDavid-led Oilers at +1800 to win title

If you’re looking for real value on the Stanley Cup odds, you can get the Edmonton Oilers at +1800 and the Winnipeg Jets at +5000. The Oilers could ride Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to a championship, while Winnipeg has been riding goalie Connor Hellebuyck all season and a red-hot goalie has been a difference-maker in the playoff many times before.