The Toronto Maple Leafs are the public’s overwhelming favorites to win the Stanley Cup ahead of the start of the NHL season Tuesday.
Key Takeaways
- The Leafs are responsible for 10.6% of tickets and 15% of the handle wagered at BetMGM.
- Only two of seven leading sportsbooks have the Panthers favored despite Florida winning the last two Cups.
- The Golden Knights are the overwhelming favorites to win the Western Conference.
| Team | FanDuel Odds |
|---|---|
| Florida Panthers | +750 |
| Dallas Stars | +850 |
| Edmonton Oilers | +850 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | +950 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | +950 |
| Colorado Avalanche | +1,000 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | +1,200 |
| New Jersey Devils | +1,400 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | +1,700 |
| Winnipeg Jets | +1,700 |
| Los Angeles Kings | +2,200 |
| New York Rangers | +2,200 |
| Minnesota Wild | +2,700 |
| Washington Capitals | +3,000 |
| Ottawa Senators | +3,000 |
| Vancouver Canucks | +5,000 |
| St. Louis Blues | +5,000 |
| Utah Mammoth | +5,000 |
| Montreal Canadiens | +5,500 |
| Buffalo Sabres | +8,000 |
| New York Islanders | +10,000 |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | +10,000 |
| Nashville Predators | +12,500 |
| Calgary Flames | +12,500 |
| Anaheim Ducks | +15,000 |
| Detroit Red Wings | +15,000 |
| Boston Bruins | +17,500 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | +17,500 |
| Seattle Kraken | +25,000 |
| San Jose Sharks | +50,000 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | +50,000 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | +50,000 |
In professional sports, the team that wins its respective championship is almost always the favorite heading into the next season. There’s also a strong proof of concept with the Panthers, who won each of the last two Stanley Cups.
However, no NHL team has three-peated since the New York Islanders won four straight titles from 1980-83. The Tampa Bay Lightning had a chance to write their name in history in 2022, but they lost to the Colorado Avalanche in the Cup Final following two straight championships.
FanDuel likes the Panthers over the field at +750. Caesars also has Florida at +750, but none of BetMGM, DraftKings, Fanatics, bet365, or Hard Rock Bet have the defending champ as their favorite.
Instead, that group of five sportsbooks have the Edmonton Oilers or Carolina Hurricanes as outright or co-favorites. BetMGM also has the Vegas Golden Knights as co-favorites with the Oilers.
Here’s a look at which team the top sportsbooks have listed atop their Stanley Cup odds.
| Sportsbook | Team | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| FanDuel | Panthers | +750 |
| BetMGM | Golden Knights/Oilers | +800 |
| DraftKings | Hurricanes | +750 |
| Caesars | Panthers | +750 |
| Fanatics | Oilers | +800 |
| bet365 | Oilers/Hurricanes | +750 |
| Hard Rock Bet | Hurricanes | +750 |
The public weighs in
The Maple Leafs are responsible for 10.6% of tickets and 15% of the handle wagered in futures markets for Stanley Cup odds, according to BetMGM insights shared with Covers on Monday, Both marks are the highest in their respective categories.
The Colorado Avalanche are second in bets (9.7%) and third in handle (13.3%), while the history-seeking Panthers are third in tickets (8.8%) and second in handle (13.8%).
The Golden Knights have 8.3% of wagers and 7.4% of the handle, which rank fourth and fifth, respectively. The Oilers have 6.5% of both the tickets and handle, ranking joint-fifth and sixth. The Hurricanes have 6.5% of the tickets and 6.7% of the handle, which are tied for joint-fifth and fifth, respectively.
As far as long shots, “sharp” money is on the Canadiens, Blues, Lightning, and Wild. All four teams have between 1.6% and 3% of tickets but at least a 1% larger share of the handle.
Much the opposite, the Stars have 5.8% of bets and only 4.5% of the handle. The Red Wings also have 2.6% of tickets and 1.1% of the handle. The Bruins have 2.3% of wagers and 0.8% of the pot, and the Penguins have 2.1% of tickets but just 0.4% of the money.
Forecasting each conference
The Maple Leafs are also the most popular pick to win the Eastern Conference with 17.4% of tickets, according to BetBGM. However, the Canadiens are responsible for a leading 20.1% of the pot despite having just 7% of bets behind them. The Panthers are second in tickets (14.5%) and money (15.7%).
Out west, the Golden Knights are the most popular pick. They have the shortest odds (+400), the highest share of tickets (21%), and the largest split of the handle (15.8%). The Kings are second in both tickets and money (11.4% and 15.8%).
