by Darren Moore
We’re a month into the new season and the NHL standings are starting to take shape. Some teams are already falling well behind the pace. However it’s early days and we all know it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish!
For the latest Stanley Cup odds check out the NHL Futures page here.
The Dallas Stars have only just got their season started on Jan 22nd but are now flying along nicely while Buffalo and New Jersey have had to endure multiple postponements which can impact teams later down the line.
There’s a long way to go with many teams yet to find their stride. As things stand, things look pretty congested at the top of of the Stanley Cup betting odds lists with the defending champions, Tampa Bay Lightning the current favorites at +750. The Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche are close behind at +800.
Pick Up A Penguin
The best betting option at thus juncture would be to attempt to get some bigger odds on a slow starting team who are likely to pick up later on. One such team that may be worth a small wager could be the Pittsburgh Penguins (6-5-1). They were trading at around the +1750 mark at the start of the season but are now available at +2800 with Bovada.
Yes, Pittsburgh have started poorly and the surprise resignation of general manager Jim Rutherford certainly hasn’t helped matters. But Ron Hextall has now been brought in to steady the ship along with Brian Burke as the new president of hockey operations which should see some overall stability return.
Better To Come
They have some good players on their roster and we can expect the likes of Tristan Jarry, Evgeny Malkin and Sidney Crosby to improve and newcomer Mike Matheson, who arrived at Pittsburgh in a big off-season deal, will hopefully recover from his niggling injury problems.
Despite not getting out of the gates well, you can’t write off a team with the pedigree of the Penguins winning their 6th Stanley Cup. On Sunday night they are -120 with Bovada to beat the Washington Capitals on home soil.
Darren lives & breathes sports betting and is always sniffing out his next value bet. His favourite sports to bet on are the NFL, horse racing and UFC but he will bet on anything if he thinks the odds are favourable.
