2021-22 Stanley Cup Odds: Avalanche Holding Down Top Spot

As we approach the midway point of the NHL season, there are still plenty of questions surrounding the season’s immediate future given the sheer number of players and coaches who have gone through the league’s COVID-19 protocols. Many teams are getting back to normal, while some are still dealing with postponements and positive cases. 

It’s a fluid situation that has had a major impact on the standings, but if we look far enough into the future we can still project the teams we think have the best chance to hoist Lord Stanley’s mug. 

Online sportsbook Bovada has the latest 2021-22 Stanley Cup odds, which will be updated regularly during the season.

The Colorado Avalanche (+550) are first in Stanley Cup odds, followed by the Florida Panthers (+650), Tampa Bay Lightning (+700), Toronto Maple Leafs (+700) and Vegas Golden Knights (+800) to round out the top five.

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New to betting on hockey? We have a great NHL betting tutorial to assist you in placing a wager on Stanley Cup futures. To find the sportsbook that’s right for you to get some money down on the ice, head over to our Sportsbook Review page.

Here’s a look at the Stanley Cup odds for all 32 teams that are vying to win it all in the 2021-22 campaign.

Avalanche Lead Latest Stanley Cup Odds

Odds as of January 14 at Bovada

Stanley Cup Odds: Value Bets

Florida Panthers (+650)

Oddsmakers obviously believe the Panthers, second in Stanley Cup odds, should be respected as legitimate contenders. 

Florida had a stacked roster last year and finished on a 115-point pace without their top defenceman, Aaron Ekblad, for much of the season. 

This year, they have Ekblad back and added forward Sam Reinhart from Buffalo. Reinhart has scored 20 or more goals in five of his six NHL seasons and was a great under-the-radar addition to a top-six forward group that already featured Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau and Carter Verhaeghe.

The goaltending was a bit of a question mark before the season because you never know what you might get out of Sergei Bobrovsky, but Bob has been excellent this season. He is 17-3-3 with a .919 save percentage.

The Panthers were at +1600 just a few weeks ago, so the value on this bet is evaporating quickly, but we’re still betting them at +650.

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Vegas Golden Knights (+800)

The Vegas Golden Knights fell out of the top five on the Stanley Cup odds list briefly because of their early-season struggles. They sat fourth in the Pacific Division just a month ago.

However, the team was without several key pieces for a long stretch (Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty, among others) and has suddenly climbed into first in the Pacific at 23-14-2 through 39 games.

We believe the Knights are legitimate contenders and one of the best teams in the league when healthy. They also appear poised to get back star acquisition Jack Eichel over the coming weeks.  

Don’t let the early-season struggles fool you. This is a top-tier team with a record that is creating value in Stanley Cup odds for bettors. At +800, the Knights are a great bet.

Carolina Hurricanes (+1200)

At one time one of the top four teams in Stanley Cup odds, the Carolina Hurricanes have fallen slightly to sixth at +1200 after a brief stint at +1600 heading into the Christmas break.

But make no mistake, this is one of the best teams in the league and there’s no reason they should have significantly longer odds than the top five teams. 

Carolina is also getting lights-out goaltending from Frederik Andersen, who is fourth in the NHL in goals-against average and is fifth in save percentage.

We’re all over the Canes at +1200.

Boston Bruins (+2000)

The Bruins are another good team with relatively long odds that make them a solid value bet.

They will be in tough to finish in the top three of the Atlantic Division with Toronto, Florida and Tampa likely to take those spots, but sleep on the Bruins at your own peril.

Boston just welcomed back longtime star goaltender Tuukka Rask, who is admittedly a bit of a question mark, but is nonetheless a veteran goalie who could end up being their unquestioned starter if healthy. That’s a big addition.

Add in the elite top line of Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron with a solid defensive group and the Bruins will be a tough out come playoff time. They also currently lead the league in expected goals for percentage and are second behind Tampa Bay in high-danger chances for percentage. Watch for the Bruins to heat up and for their +2000 Stanley Cup odds to drop. 

Stanley Cup Odds: Best Bet

Minnesota Wild (+2000)

The Minnesota Wild were one of the surprise teams in the league last season, finishing on a 110-point pace. A middling team for so long, the Wild finally got good goaltending from the tandem of Cam Talbot and rookie Kaapo Kahkonen along with a breakthrough performance from winger Kirill Kaprizov in his long-awaited NHL debut season.

The Wild have been one of the best teams in the league this season, but a recent five-game losing streak has created even more value on their Stanley Cup odds.

But don’t be fooled by their fourth-place spot in the Central Division. They are second in points percentage behind just Colorado as they’ve played fewer games than both Nashville and St. Louis.

What Is A Futures Bet On Stanley Cup Odds?

Before hockey season starts, oddsmakers release their lines on each team’s chance of winning the shiny championship trophy. If you were to place a wager at any point before the Stanley Cup Final, you would be making a futures bet. This is a bet that deals with events that will happen in time. For instance, you could bet on the Detroit Red Wings to win the Cup in September, but you would not see the results of your bet until the postseason.

How To Read NHL Stanley Cup Odds

At your sportsbook of choice, you’ll see Stanley Cup odds listed like this:

Tampa Bay Lightning +300

Toronto Maple Leafs +450

Vegas Golden Knights +500

Boston Bruins +800

Unlike a moneyline bet where there is a clear favorite and underdog, for an NHL futures bet, you would consider the team with the lowest odds as the fave. In this case, it’s Tampa. The team with the highest odds would be the dog. For this example, it’s Boston.

Let’s say hockey season is about to start and you’ve done your research. You believe that it’s Toronto’s year, so you lay down $40 on the Leafs to win the Cup. If they do win it all, you’d see a payout of $220 – your original $40 is returned along with your winnings of $180.

You can use our Odds Calculator to figure out what you’d win based on the amount you bet and the odds.

When it comes to futures, get in on the action early. The closer it gets to the NHL playoffs, the more the odds will shift. Oddsmakers update the lines for these bets frequently as teams slip and fall in the standings. Injuries, trades and coaching changes will affect a team’s odds of making it to the Cup Final, and those who set the lines take that into consideration when updating the odds.

As mentioned above, it’s important to keep in mind that when you make your NHL futures picks, you won’t see a return until Lord Stanley’s Cup is awarded to the winner.