The 2023 Stanley Cup betting market is a fairly open heat although Colorado Avalanche once again appear to be setting the benchmark. Jared Bednar leads the team and did an excellent job when steering them to a championship victory, with the Avalanche sitting in the top three of the Western Conference and they claimed eight victories in their opening thirteen games.
However, many betting customers have been looking to place bets on Boston Bruins instead. They achieved fourteen victories from their first sixteen matches in the Atlantic Division, with the Toronto Maple Leafs also meriting respect and the Canadian side could be dark horses when it comes to competing for a Stanley Cup.
When it comes to comparing the latest ice hockey betting odds, it’s worth making sure that you are taking the biggest prices. There are some paths to profit by backing more than one selection and that can give you a run for your money. The Vegas Golden Knights are one of the market movers and it’s no surprise when you consider they have won thirteen of their sixteen encounters to date.
Perhaps there could be an opportunity for the New Jersey Devils to come through the Eastern Conference and compete for the 2023 Stanley Cup. They have so far managed to keep New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes at bay and perhaps we will see the overall winner come from this division.
Colorado were effectively top seeds ahead of the 2021-22 NHL play-offs taking place and the Avalanche justified their billing by navigating their way through to the business end of the competition. They were able to trounce Nashville in a one-sided series to make the quarter finals of the competition.
The Avalanche then had a stiffer test against fellow Central Division side St Louis Blues, although they were able to achieve a 4-2 win and now look well placed to get the better of an Edmonton Oilers side who will have to come back from a losing position.
The Oilers are not without a chance of still making the Stanley Cup final although they are the outsider of the four teams left in according to the NHL betting sites. The Pacific Division side were able to edge out Los Angeles before beating Calgary and perhaps they can still make an impact.
Tampa Bay Favourites to Beat New York Rangers
Tampa Bay are something of a surprise package in the Eastern Conference Final. After all, the Lightning were only third in the standings when it came to the Atlantic Division and they were the ice hockey betting outsiders when clashing with Toronto.
Nevertheless, TB claimed a decider victory to ease through to the next stage and then produced a series of strong performances to overcome a Florida Panthers side who were Atlantic Division champions, Eastern Conference regular champions and Presidents’ Trophy winners.
New York Rangers finished second behind Carolina Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division and were embroiled in a tense shootout with the same team. The former came through a 4-3 victory to take their place in the clash against Lightning after a similarly tight clash against Pittsburgh.
The 2015-16 NHL ice hockey season got underway on the 7th October and the 30 teams must battle through their 82-game regular season matches before the best make it through to the Stanley Cup playoffs with the hope of becoming champions. Here we take a look at the leading contenders in the Stanley Cup outright betting market and we give our tips and predictions about what will transpire. We also have the latest live betting odds to ensure you get the best price, whichever side you decide to back for glory.
Last season it was the Chicago Blackhawks who won their second Stanley Cup in three years as they conquered the Tampa Bay Lightning by four games to two in the finals. They thus emulated the Los Angeles Kings’ achievement of winning two in three (as they won in 2012 and 2014) and we have a sneaking suspicion that the Blackhawks might just have it within them to make it three Cups in four years. Moreover, after a less than convincing start to the campaign – Chicago lost five of their opening 12 matches in the Central Division – they are also looking like excellent value in the outright betting market at betting odds of 23/2 with 10Bet.
Of course, for the Blackhawks to put themselves in with a chance of winning the Cup again, their form needs to start resembling that which they showed last season when they smashed all before them, getting past Nashville, Minnesota and Anaheim on the way to the finals against Tampa Bay.
If Chicago continue to meander in their somewhat sluggish manner in the Central Division, however, there are plenty of teams who look ready and willing to put themselves in contention to win the Stanley Cup. Chief amongst them has to be the Montreal Canadiens who won 11 of their first 13 matches of the 2015-16 NHL season and who could tempt plenty of punters at betting odds of 9/1 with Sky Bet to win the Stanley Cup. They are taking the Atlantic Division by storm as things stand, so much so that the odds of 13/10 with BetVictor for them to finish top is starting to look worth grabbing, and the 5/1 for them to win the Eastern Conference might also appeal.
The New York Rangers might well prove to be the big stumbling block to the Canadiens progressing to the finals from the Eastern Conference. A steady – rather than spectacular – start to the current campaign has shown us signs of a return to the effectiveness of the side that lost in the finals to the Kings in 2014, and if they can add a bit more consistency to their game, the Rangers will have a great chance of building up the necessary momentum to get into, and then progress through, the playoffs.
One side who might just have enough to challenge for their first ever Stanley Cup is the St Louis Blues, who are out at the 23/2 mark with 10Bet and who we predict could be the surprise package of the 2015-16 season. With a fine mix of dynamic players and a coaching team who are imaginative and great motivators, the Blues could even give the Blackhawks a run for their money when it comes to the playoffs.
Overall though, we feel it is the Blackhawks, who have been there and done it so well and so recently, that are the team to back in the outright Stanley Cup betting market. We predict they will grow as the season progresses and as soon as they hit their stride the other sides had better watch out because – at their best – the Blackhawks are simply unstoppable.