When sportsbooks released their initial 2023 Stanley Cup odds, it was no surprise that the Boston Bruins led the pack as the favorites to win the greatest trophy in all of sports.
What odds-makers didn’t anticipate, though, was the best regular season team in the history of hockey getting eliminated in the first round. Now, nearly through the second round of the playoffs, odds have been readjusted with a few surprise teams leading the pack.
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Odds courtesy of Fanduel Sportsbook
With Boston out early, the Carolina Hurricanes have become the instant favorites to win it all with +250 odds. A team with a ferocious forecheck and previous playoff experience, the ‘Canes have looked dominant thus far. Carolina hasn’t been to the Stanley Cup Final since they were last crowned champion back in 2006, but they get can themselves one step closer tonight by punching their tickets to the Eastern Conference Finals if they can beat the New Jersey Devils at home.
Serendipitously, this year’s Stanley Cup Final could very well be a rematch from 17 years ago, as the Edmonton Oilers are the favorites to win the Western Conference and have the second best odds out of the teams that are still alive at +380.
However, if there’s one team to bet on now, it’s the Florida Panthers. After entering opening the postseason with Stanley Cup odds of +150,000, Florida has played spoiler early. After upsetting Boston in the first round, the Panthers now sit at +500 while they have the Toronto Maple Leafs on the ropes.
As for the rest of the field, the East appears to be between two teams at this point, but maybe the Leafs are betting on themselves with +1,000 odds after staving off a sweep last night.
The West, however, is a much closer race. Edmonton has traded blows with the Vegas Golden Knights (+600) all series long, and it’s been hard to discern which team truly has the advantage in that series. Meanwhile, the Dallas Stars, with Stanley Cup odds of +550, are favored to advance over the Seattle Kraken, but with the series tied at two games apiece, it’s still anyone’s for the taking.
And if you want to hitch your saddle to a dark horse in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, New Jersey is down but not officially out with +2,000 odds.
