Riding the wave of a recent winning streak, the Boston Bruins now sit as the favourite on the Stanley Cup odds at the sportsbooks to win their second championship in four years. Entering the final two weeks of the regular season, the Bruins currently sit at 9/2 in NHL futures wagering.
After opening the season trailing the favourites and sporting odds of just 10/1, Boston has been a dominant force in the Atlantic Division – losing just nine games SU since the beginning of January. After clinching the Atlantic with a recent victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, the B’s have plenty of time to prepare for another extended playoff run.
The St. Louis Blues are right on the Bruins’ heels, steady at the 5/1 odds at Bodog they sported in mid-March. The Blues have also clinched a playoff spot, and after posting six wins in nine games appear poised to clinch the competitive Central Division.
The defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks have fallen to third in the Central behind the Blues and the resurgent Colorado Avalanche. However, the Hawks remain an oddsmaker favourite at Bodog, who peg them at 13/2 to win their third championship in five years.
The Pittsburgh Penguins drop slightly to 7/1 at Bodog. The Pens have lost six of their last nine games SU, including five one-goal losses, but remain poised to win the Metropolitan Division. The Penguins are closely followed by one of this season’s quiet success stories, the San Jose Sharks, who sit at 8/1 in futures wagering at Bodog. The Sharks, who were a distant 16/1 during the offseason, have lost five of seven SU after posting six straight wins. However, the Sharks remain in a dogfight with the Anaheim Ducks for first place in the Pacific Division.
While the Ducks enter the week with a slight edge in the Pacific standings, they trail the Sharks in futures wagering on the Stanley Cup odds at Bodog – where they are listed at 10/1. The Ducks were nearly unbeatable in the first half of the season but have faced struggles of late, winning just five of their last 12 SU including losing four of their last five at home.
Another recent Stanley Cup champion rounds out the list of favourites. The Los Angeles Kings, who enter the week on a six-game winning streak SU, are pegged at an attractive 12/1 to win their second Stanley Cup in franchise history.