Mike Smith's Coyotes are a tempting futures wager.
US PRESSWIRE
Raise your hand if you had the Western Conference title running through Phoenix and Los Angeles. Anyone?
Sure, it's still early in those respective series, but it looks awfully good for Mike Smith and the Coyotes as well as Jonathan Quick and the Kings right now. It looks even better if you were a player who waltzed up to the window a month ago and threw down on either club to make the Stanley Cup Finals, or better yet, to win the silver mug.
Well, for those who didn't, the opportunity is still there, just at a much different price. But those teams are not alone at the top. Even though it's still early in the East as well, the public has fallen in love with Claude Giroux and the Flyers' depth, and there's still plenty of belief that Ryan Callahan and Henrik Lundqivst can save the day for the Rangers, who are just 5-4 this postseason despite being the conference’s No. 1 team and facing only the No. 8 and No. 7 seeds so far.
Clearly, the pressure is getting to New York.
But again, tons of hockey remains. As we watch it all play out, let's take a look at the updated odds to win both conferences, as well as the Cup (odds from the Las Vegas Hotel and Casino SuperBook):
ODDS TO WIN STANLEY CUP:
Philadelphia Flyers 3-1
Los Angeles Kings 3-1
Phoenix Coyotes 5-1
New York Rangers 5-1
Washington Capitals 8-1
Nashville Predators 10-1
St. Louis Blues 10-1
New Jersey Devils 15-1
ODDS TO WIN EASTERN CONFERENCE:
Philadelphia Flyers 13-10
New York Rangers 9-5
Washington Capitals 4-1
New Jersey Devils 7-1
ODDS TO WIN WESTERN CONFERENCE:
Los Angeles Kings 13-10
Phoenix Coyotes 5-2
Nashville Predators 4-1
St. Louis Blues 4-1