The majority of off season roster shake ups are complete with the NHL Draft having finished and most of the top free agents having found new homes. We can now truly start to judge the Stanley Cup chances of each of these teams for the upcoming season. There’s not a lot to write about in the sports world this week so I decided to turn my attention to hockey and have put together my favourite picks for the 2015 Stanley Cup champion.
I’m using the highest paying odds from any of the sportsbooks I recommend here at Sports Betting Canadian.
2015 Stanley Cup Odds
Let’s get right to it. Here are the odds for each of the 30 NHL teams to win the Stanley Cup this season.
- Chicago Blackhawks 8.00
- LA Kings 11.00
- Boston Bruins 12.00
- Anaheim Ducks 13.00
- Pittsburgh Penguins 13.00
- St. Louis Blues 13.00
- San Jose Sharks 15.00
- New York Rangers 18.00
- Colorado Avalanche 19.00
- Tampa Bay Lightning 19.00
- Minnesota Wild 20.00
- Montreal Canadiens 21.00
- Dallas Stars 26.00
- Detroit Red Wings 26.00
- Philadelphia Flyers 31.00
- Columbus Blue Jackets 34.00
- Toronto Maple Leafs 34.00
- Vancouver Canucks 34.00
- Washington Capitals 41.00
- New Jersey Devils 53.00
- Arizona Coyotes 67.00
- Ottawa Senators 67.00
- Winnipeg Jets 67.00
- Carolina Hurricanes 81.00
- Nashville Predators 81.00
- Calgary Flames 101.00
- Florida Panthers 101.00
- Edmonton Oilers 101.00
- New York Islanders 101.00
- Buffalo Sabres 151.00
Straight off the bat I would suggest focusing your NHL Stanley Cup betting on perhaps the top 10 favourites or so from the list above. It is very difficult to win the Stanley Cup and it is extremely rare that a team who is not considered one of the top third of the league before the season begins will win the trophy at the end.
My Favourite Picks
Chicago Blackhawks 7/1
Every year I think the Blackhawks have a great chance at winning the Stanley Cup. Even last year they came within a game of moving on to defend their Stanley Cup and if they score the overtime goal instead of the Kings in game 7 then I think they would have easily won the Finals as well. The Blackhawks have such a strong core that they should be the favourites to win the Cup every season in my opinion. Even at 7/1 I think they are a strong bet.
Boston Bruins 11/1
I like the Bruins because I think they are by far the best team in the Eastern Conference. They lost a tough series to the Canadiens last year and it is possible for them to lose at any point of the playoffs, but I would pick them as the favourite against anyone in the East. They have a great chance to make the finals every year and once you get to the Stanley Cup Finals series anything can happen. The core of the team simply knows how to win and Tukka Rask is now one of the best goaltenders in the league. For these reasons I think the Bruins are a strong pick at 11/1.
Dallas Stars 25/1
The Dallas Stars were probably the biggest winners in this off season and I’m surprised they don’t have shorter odds to win the Cup because of this. Last year the Stars made a huge jump by making the playoffs in the Western Conference and this year they will be looking for much more than a first round exit. The additions of Jason Spezza and Ales Hemsky should help the team by providing some good secondary scoring, which becomes especially crucial in the playoffs. I’m not convinced that Kari Lehtonen is the goaltender to take them to the promise land, but at 25/1 I still think the Stars are a decent price to take a flyer.
New Jersey Devils 52/1
Now we are getting into my dark horse selection for the Stanley Cup. I actually really liked the Devils moves in the off season. I expect Havlat to have a great season alongside his Czech buddies Elias and Jagr, and Mike Cammalleri definitely has some left in the tank. The forwards from top to bottom are very experienced and provide the team with a lot of options to utilize up front. The defense may need an upgrade, but the system in place by the Devils does well to hide any weaker defenders. I also think that Cory Schneider having the full support of the team this season will help him have a Vezina type season. Simply put I think the Devils will be making the playoffs this year and once they are in the veteran experience could help them make a deep run.
Steer Clear
It’s very hard to win the Stanley Cup two years in a row, which is why the Kings didn’t make my favourite picks list. That said they are one team that I’m not going to tell you to steer clear of because from top to bottom they are one of the best teams in the league on paper and when they get rolling they are hard to stop.
I will tell you to steer clear of the Tampa Bay Lightning at 18/1. I just don’t buy the hype surrounding that team. They were an easy out for the Canadiens this season and they are very close to the cap, which will handcuff them for adding any pieces later on. If you can shut down Stamkos you can shut down the Lightning. I think they overpaid for most of their free agents this summer and this could come back to haunt them for the next few years.
I’d also stay away from the Detroit Red Wings at 25/1. They are always over valued because they are the Red Wings. The team is one year older and although some of their young guys were good this past year I expect more of the same in terms of injuries to key players and I doubt the Red Wings continue their playoff streak this season.
Once again, this article was written on July 30th, 2014. There is still 10 months before the 2015 Stanley Cup winner will be crowned. If you do place a Stanley Cup futures wager remember that your money is locked up for the better portion of a year
Tagged With : 2015 Stanley Cup • NHL • Stanley Cup Betting • Stanley Cup odds
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