Latest 2019/20 NHL Stanley Cup Betting Odds

The 2019/20 National Hockey League season is still a couple of months away, but fans can get in early. That’s because online sportsbooks have opened Stanley Cup and conference betting markets – with some compelling odds on leading contenders.

Sports betting has exploded in North America in recent years – both in Canada, where it is legal nationwide – and in the U.S., where legalization is well underway. As a result, all the big four sports have seen a surge in popularity, including the NHL – which sees billions in betting wagers every year. Betting action really tends to pick up after the NHL draft each pre-season.

Last season showed just how unpredictable the NHL can be. The Tampa Bay Lightning were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs after being hot Stanley Cup favorites at the end of the regular Season. The St. Louis Blues, who were paying as much as 250/1 title odds early in the season, ended up winning the 2018/19 Stanley Cup.

What will the 2019/20 NHL season have in store? Fans can bet on all the action on the websites listed at https://bestsportsbooks.ca/nhl-betting/.

Revealing the top 2019/20 Stanley Cup Betting Favorites

Judging by the latest live odds, the Tampa Bay Lightning are set to pick up where they left off in 2019/20 – as the undisputed Stanley Cup Favorites. The Lightning will be looking to atone for the disappointment of last season’s playoffs and win the Stanley Cup this year. Sports Interaction, a leading Canadian online bookmaker, has the Lightning an 8.50 favorite to win the title.

Four teams are shaping up as the Lightning’s major rivals this season. The Toronto Maple Leafs are a clear second favorite, paying 9.00, the Vegas Golden Knights and last season’s runner-up the Boston Bruins are both paying 11.00, and the Colorado Avalanche are paying 13.00. A further seven teams are paying lower than 20.00 odds: reigning champs St. Louis are paying 16.00, followed by the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars, both 18.00, and San Jose Sharks, Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers, and Washington Capitals, all 19.00.

At the bottom end of the odds, the Ottawa Senators are paying a whopping 301.00 – even more than the 251.00 offered on the St. Louis Blues halfway through last season’s successful Stanley Cup-winning campaign.

Lightning, Golden Knights the Conference Favorites

The top bookmakers are also offering odds on conference winner, and unsurprisingly it’s the Lightning and Maple Leafs up top in the East. According to bet365, the Lightning are a 13/4 favorite to represent the NHL Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Maple Leafs are paying 4/1, Bruins, 5/1, Capitals and Panthers 10/1, and Pittsburgh Penguins 12/1. Keep in mind these odds are for the conference winner including playoffs. Therefore, last year’s winner was the Bruins and not the Lightning – although the Lightning had the best regular season record in the conference (and the league).

The Western Conference appears to be the weaker of the two conferences if betting odds are any guide. The Golden Knights, third-favorites in Stanley Cup betting, are being tipped to win their second conference championship in the third season since their inception. The Golden Knights are paying 15/4 to win the NHL Western Conference (including playoffs). Next are the Avalanche, 19/4, Blues, 13/2, Predators, and Stars, 8/1, Flames and Sharks, 9/1, and the Winnipeg Jets, 11/1.

Given the tightness of the odds in both conferences, it’s clear anything can happen in NHL season 2019/20. That is great news for fans looking to get some good odds on their favorite team.