NHL returns – Syndication Server

The 2019-20 Stanley Cup will be up for grabs later this summer as the NHL season resumes with a 24-team playoff structure. The expanded postseason has opened up the odds, providing greater profit margins for sports bettors. Below, we’ll look at the Stanley Cup futures odds, and make our picks and best bets at BetMGM.

2019-20 Stanley Cup Champions Odds: Favorite

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated Thursday, May 28 at 2:40 p.m. ET.

St. Louis Blues (+1000)

The defending Stanley Cup champions finished the abbreviated regular season atop the ultra-competitive Central Division at 42-19-10 for 94 points through 71 games. They scored 225 goals and allowed just 193, all without star RW Vladimir Tarasenko (shoulder) for the majority of the season.

Tarasenko will return following the break and unlike most teams who try to defend a Stanley Cup title, the Blues are plenty rested after going the distance in 2018-19. The pressure has also faded, at least slightly, due to the prolonged break.

The Blues are only sixth by the odds to win the Cup despite finishing first in the Western Conference and receiving a Qualification Round bye. They’re a strong pick as the first team with odds of 10/1 or higher.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Blues to win the Stanley Cup returns a profit of $100.

Get some action on the NHL playoffs by placing a legal sports bet (in NJ, IN, CO and WV) at BetMGM.com.

2019-20 Stanley Cup Champions Odds: Contender

Edmonton Oilers (+2300)

The extended mid-season interruption will help level the competitive playing field for all 24 teams in the expanded playoffs. For this reason, it’s smart to trust the Oilers, who are led by C Connor McDavid and C Leon Draisaitl. Draisaitl and McDavid finished 1-2 in both points and assists in the regular season, and they’ll be able to take advantage of any team showing signs of rust defensively.

Believe in the raw talent of the Oilers’ two stars as they’ll look to outscore the competition in what’s sure to be a more wide-open playoff-style than to which we’re accustomed.

2019-20 Stanley Cup Champions Odds: Long shot

Florida Panthers (+6500)

Alternatively, look at the Panthers as your Stanley Cup dart throw. They ranked sixth in the Eastern Conference with 231 goals in the regular season while going 35-26-8. G Sergei Bobrovsky, a marquee free-agent addition, struggled through 50 games to post a .900 save percentage and a 3.23 goals against average.

The two-time Vezina Trophy winner is the biggest X-factor in this new playoff structure. The break has given him plenty of time to regroup and move past his regular-season struggles. If he can return to form, the Panthers could be vaulted into a long postseason run.

Want some action in the 2019-20 NHL Playoffs? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

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The 2019-20 NHL regular season is officially over and hockey fans now wait for a 24-team playoff format to begin later this summer. The interruption in the NHL has created a never-before-seen wrinkle in the hunt for the Stanley Cup. Below, we’ll look at the betting odds to win the Eastern Conference and make our picks and best bets to make it to the Stanley Cup final.

2019-20 NHL Eastern Conference Odds: Favorites

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated Thursday, May 28 at 1:30 p.m. ET.

TEAM	ODDS
Boston Bruins	+300
Tampa Bay Lightning	+300
Philadelphia Flyers	+450
Washington Capitals	+450

Tampa Bay Lightning (+300)

The Lightning suffered one of the worst playoffs collapses on memory a year ago. The Presidents’ Trophy champions were swept in four games in the first round by the Columbus Blue Jackets while being outscored 19-8.

The lengthy pause in the 2019-20 NHL season has allowed C Steven Stamkos (abdomen) and D Victor Hedman (lower body) to return to full health. Heavily-used starting G Andrei Vasilevskiy will also be well-rested and back in top form after seeming to tire out in last year’s postseason.

The Lightning led the league with 245 goals scored in 70 games. Only the Bruins (plus-53) had a better goal differential than the Lightning’s plus-50. Look for them to use the extended time off and a Qualification Round bye to correct their wrongs from 2018-19.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Lightning to win the Eastern Conference returns a profit of $30.

Get some action on the NHL playoffs by placing a legal sports bet (in NJ, IN, CO and WV) at BetMGM.com.

2019-20 NHL Eastern Conference Odds: Long shots

TEAM	ODDS
Pittsburgh Penguins	+1100
Toronto Maple Leafs	+1700
New York Islanders	+2200
New York Rangers	+2200
Carolina Hurricanes	+2400
Blue Jackets	+2800
Florida Panthers	+2800
Montreal Canadiens	+5000

Columbus Blue Jackets (+2800)

The Blue Jackets loaded up at the 2018-19 NHL trade deadline and went on to win the franchise’s first playoff series since entering the league in 2000-01. Things seemed to fall apart in the offseason, as C Matt Duchene, C Ryan Dzingel and G Sergei Bobrovsky all departed via free agency.

The Jackets may have been destined to miss the playoffs under a normal 16-team format, as they sat at 33-22-15 through 70 games. They suffered a league-worst 15 overtime losses, including a 0-4 record in shootouts.

The goaltending tandem of Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins will be the biggest key to a long postseason run. They posted save percentages of .911 and .923, respectively, in the regular season. They’ll be matched up against the Maple Leafs in the Qualification Round, but they may have the home-ice advantage as a final contender to be a postseason hub city.

Florida Panthers (+2800)

The free-agent addition of Bobrovsky in goal was supposed to help turn the Panthers around and make them a frontrunner in the Eastern Conference for the better part of the next 10 seasons. However, the former Vezina Trophy winner played to a save percentage of just .900 with a 3.23 goals against average across his first 50 games of the season and the Panthers sat at 35-26-8 at the pause.

A good Bobrovsky is still a top-four goaltender in the East and the Panthers have one of the deepest forward groups in the conference. Trusting goaltending and backing long shots will be the key to turning a profit at the sportsbooks in these unprecedented NHL playoffs.