The NHL regular season is still almost two months away, but hockey is starting to get back into the swing of things. The development camps are over, free agency is done and most teams are starting to look how they will once the puck drops this October. I haven’t had a post on here in a while so I thought today was as good as any to put up my Stanley Cup winner predictions for the 2013-14 season.
2014 Stanley Cup Odds
First, let’s look at the sports betting odds from Bovada.lv (Bodog.eu for Canadians). They are a great bookie and I enjoy using their odds for certain futures. Check out our online sportsbooks page for other bookie options.
- Chicago Blackhawks +600
- Pittsburgh Penguins +650
- Boston Bruins +1000
- Los Angeles Kings +1200
- St. Louis Blues +1200
- Detroit Red Wings +1600
- Vancouver Canucks +1600
- San Jose Sharks +1800
- Edmonton Oilers +2000
- Minnesota Wild +2000
- New York Rangers +2000
- Anaheim Ducks +2200
- Montreal Canadiens +2500
- Toronto Maple Leafs +2500
- Washington Capitals +2500
- Philadelphia Flyers +2800
- New York Islanders +3300
- Ottawa Senators +3300
After these teams it becomes pretty unlikely that another team will lift the Stanley Cup at the end of the season. That said I think it’s quite unlikely that some of these teams even have a chance as well.
But let’s get right into it.
Good Bets
The four bets I like the most are here:
Chicago Blackhawks +600
The Blackhawks in my opinion have been the best team in the league for the past 5 seasons. They only won 2 Stanley Cups, and that is because winning a Cup also takes luck. I still really like their team. The core is great and they know how to win. Crawford showed that he is able to backstop a good team to a Cup win and I think they have closer to a 25% chance of repeating than 1 in 6.
Boston Bruins +1000
The Bruins at 10/1 are another great bet. They lost Tyler Seguin, Nathan Horton and Jaromir Jagr up front, but added Iginla and Eriksson. I don’t particularly like the Iginla addition, but it will be interesting to see how Eriksson performs on a winning team. Chara on the backend and Rask in net also makes them a perennial contender. I also think the fact they were so close last year, but didn’t get the job done will help this time around. I’d have them more around +700 or so.
San Jose Sharks +1800
This is the Sharks last kick at the can with this group of players. Thornton, Marleau and Boyle are all UFA’s next season and they could be moved if the Sharks aren’t looking like contenders come playoff time. That said I expect the Sharks to be a very solid team this year and one with a real chance to win the Cup. They keep coming very close and this last chance might be what they need to break through. Their top 6 forwards are as good as any in the league and Niemi has won a Cup before.
Ottawa Senators +3300
I was surprised to the see the Sens with this long of odds. They made the second round last year and that was without Jason Spezza and with a far below average Erik Karlsson. With this two back in the lineup the team will be much better. Adding Bobby Ryan gives the team a much needed threat at wing with Spezza as well. Alfredsson leaving may hurt, but if the team can make the playoffs without him they will be fine. I like the upside of this team and at 33/1 it’s a good bet.
Bad Bets
The worst bets are as follows:
St. Louis Blues +1200
The Blues being the 5th highest ranked team to win the Cup is a big surprise. The team is almost the same as last year, but without David Perron. They do now have Derek Roy, but they still lack the top end talent that will put them over the edge. I see them doing ok this year, but they will only win 1 or 2 rounds in the playoffs.
Detroit Red Wings +1600
The Red Wings are an old team. Adding Weiss is a good move, but they did lose Filppula so those changes may simply cancel out. Alfredsson being added for $5.5 million was an overpay for a veteran who had most of his value in his leadership for a younger team. The Red Wings already have Datsyuk and Zetterberg for leadership, and with Alfredsson not where he used to be this was somewhat of a strange pick up. The Eastern Conference isn’t weaker than the West like some would have you believe so that move won’t help the Red Wings. In fact being in the Conference with 16 teams instead of 14 just means this team very well might not make the playoffs.
Edmonton Oilers +2000
The Oilers are still the Oilers. Every year it’s the same thing. This is the year they make the jump with all of their talent. Until I see it I won’t believe it. The Oilers may make the playoffs this year, but they aren’t going to win the Cup on their first trip to the postseason with their core. This is a suckers bet.
Those are the four bets I like the most and the three I like the least from the odds given. Visit Bovada.lv to place your bets.
Tagged with: Champion • Odds • Pick • Stanley Cup • winner