NHL betting got a boost Tuesday when the league unveiled its plan to return to the ice following the COVID-19 shutdown: 24 teams in a competition for the Stanley Cup. That plan led to an update of the Stanley Cup playoff odds and bettors were quick to jump on the new NHL futures and odds for NHL play-in series.
Several oddsmakers talked Stanley Cup betting and how ending the regular season short of 82 games impacts NHL bets made prior to Tuesday’s announcement.
Who are the popular picks to win the Stanley Cup?
The unusual format immediately led to unusual NHL betting at The SuperBook. To clarify, of the 24 teams whose season continues, 16 teams – eight in each conference – will play in a qualifying round to advance to the first round of the playoffs. Eight teams – the top four in each conference – will meet in a round-robin event to determine the top four seeds for the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
But it wasn’t the stronger teams drawing Stanley Cup dollars Tuesday afternoon.
“When we put the futures back up, we got a few bets on the long-shot teams,” said Eric Osterman, manager of The SuperBook at Westgate. “Blackhawks 100/1, Canadiens 100/1, Islanders 80/1. People are hoping to catch a Cinderella, now that some teams were able to make the qualifying round, (after) they were thought to be out of it.”
Indeed, Chicago is 12th in the Western Conference, four spots out of the playoffs in a typical season. Likewise, Montreal is 12th in the Eastern Conference, and the New York Islanders are ninth, one spot and point out of the normal playoff format.
Added Jeff Davis, director of trading for Caesars sportsbooks, “We’ve taken some small Isles money at 100/1 in New Jersey. Likely a fan.”
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Who are books rooting against to win the Stanley Cup?
Not surprisingly, the Vegas Golden Knights are a potential headache for Las Vegas sportsbooks, including The SuperBook. The Golden Knights are the 6/1 co-favorites on the Stanley Cup odds board, joined by the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins.
“There are only a few teams among the favorites that we have liability on,” Osterman said. “The Golden Knights, the Stars (14/1) and the Penguins (16/1) are the ones we will definitely have our eyes on.”
Davis pointed to three potentially troubling teams for Caesars books.
“The Blackhawks, Rangers and Oilers are very bad. The first two would be out under normal circumstances,” Davis said of teams with odds of 50/1, 50/1 and 30/1 respectively. “We’ve got a ton of ‘Hawks money at 100/1, and we’ve got some Rangers money as high as 400/1.”
How are sportsbooks handling NHL futures bets?
Across the board, sportsbooks are refunding all bets on NHL season points totals. That market is based on playing an 82-game regular season, and the shutdown began with three and a half weeks remaining, approximately eight to 10 games per team.
In addition, bets on NHL division winners are a refund at The SuperBook and BetMGM. However, other operators, including Caesars and William Hill US, are waiting to determine whether to pay on division bets, based on whether the NHL decides to award division titles for a shortened season.
Further, some books offered the prop bet of Yes/No To Make the Playoffs, for every NHL team. Caesars sportsbooks’ trading team initially was going to score that as Yes for each of the 24 teams included in the adjusted format. However, the qualifying round apparently won’t be considered an actual playoff round by the NHL, so Caesars, William Hill US and others are holding off on the Yes/No playoff prop until getting further clarification.
NHL says the round-robin/play-in are considered Qualifying for the Stanley Cup playoffs. And while this could still change, the NHL as of now considers that round a special set of games and not actual playoffs. So for record-keeping purposes, the playoffs weren't expanded from 16
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) May 26, 2020
As far as Stanley Cup Final and conference championship wagers, all bets are action at multiple books, including: The SuperBook, Caesars, William Hill US, Circa Sports and BetMGM. Ultimately, every sportsbook is expected to do likewise, but some operators are still working through those decisions.
What are the odds for the NHL Stanley Cup play-in series?
| Team | Series Price | Team | Series Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus Blue Jackets | +140 | Toronto Maple Leafs | -160 |
| Montreal Canadiens | +170 | Pittsburgh Penguins | -190 |
| New York Rangers | +130 | Carolina Hurricanes | -150 |
| Florida Panthers | -120 | New York Islanders | EVEN |
| Winnipeg Jets | -110 | Calgary Flames | -110 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | +130 | Edmonton Oilers | -150 |
| Arizona Coyotes | +105 | Nashville Predators | -125 |
| Minnesota Wild | +120 | Vancouver Canucks | -140 |
Where can I bet NHL Odds?
Many online books and casinos offer bets on NHL odds and props. Check out the best sportsbooks available where you live. **video
