Steve Starr
- BetOnline‘s updated 2021 Stanley Cup odds favor the Colorado Avalanche (+250)
- The Bruins (+450) and Lightning (+600) could be headed for an Eastern Conference Finals showdown
- The Maple Leafs (+700) hope to hoist Lord Stanley for the first time in over 50 years
After entering the Stanley Cup Playoffs as +425 favorites to win the franchise’s first championship in 20 years, the Colorado Avalanche almost cut their odds in half, to +250, with a resounding 4-0 series sweep over the St. Louis Blues in the first round of the postseason.
While many first-round series are still in full swing, let’s look at the latest odds to win Lord Stanley after the first week of the NHL playoffs and be sure to check out our NHL betting tips page for advice on how to wager on hockey.
2021 NHL Stanley Cup Odds
 |
|
| Colorado Avalanche | +250 |
| Boston Bruins | +450 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | +525 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | +600 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | +700 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | +1200 |
| New York Islanders | +1800 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | +1800 |
| Winnipeg Jets | +2000 |
| Montreal Canadiens | +4000 |
| Nashville Predators | +4000 |
| Florida Panthers | +8000 |
| Minnesota Wild | +8000 |
| Edmonton Oilers | +10000 |
Avalanche and Bruins lead the way
Colorado’s stiffest postseason challenge could be just around the corner. The Golden Knights (+525) tied the Avalanche (+250) with 82 points this year, but lost the President’s Trophy on a tiebreaker, and the two teams split their eight regular season games down the middle.
Expect whoever comes out of this titanic second-round clash between the best teams in the National Hockey League to see their odds shorten to almost EVEN heading into the Conference Finals.
quite possibly the greatest #ExpressiveMarkStone of all time pic.twitter.com/WOfuJYG06A
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) May 23, 2021
The Boston Bruins’ Cup odds have shortened from +1200 to +450 after a dominant round 1 victory over former captain Zdeno Chara and the Capitals, and the Lightning (+600) certainly seem capable of going back-to-back after the return of Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov.
With the news that Leafs captain John Tavares could be back within two weeks following his scary Game 1 injury against the Habs, Toronto (+700) is still favored to win their first playoff series since 2004 and be in the mix for their first Stanley Cup since 1969.
Sneaky Cup Contenders
Locked in a 2-2 series tie with the Predators after consecutive losses in double-overtime, Carolina has seen its Cup odds lengthen from +800 before the postseason to +1200 today.
This could be a nice buying window for the Hurricanes, but even if they get past the Predators they’ll have to defeat the reigning champs in Tampa Bay and possibly the Bruins (the team that knocked them out of the postseason the past two years) to advance to the Stanley Cup Final.
Nick Cousins brings the @PredsNHL even again.
Including the Hurricanes-Predators game today, 15 of 27 contests so far in the 2021 #StanleyCup Playoffs have been tied at any point in the third period.#NHLStats: https://t.co/WXhhsi5i0p pic.twitter.com/myEvpReMOf
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) May 23, 2021
Pittsburgh (+1800) is currently in a slug fest versus the Islanders (+1800) – but there could be some value in betting on the Penguins if injured star Evgeni Malkin can pick up his game. The Penguins were among the hottest teams in the NHL since replacing general manager Jim Rutherford with Ron Hextall, going 32-11-2 since early February.
Sidney Crosby has led his club to three Cups over his career and deadline acquisition Jeff Carter has two of his own with the Kings over the past decade. Don’t count the Pens out just yet.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
