A clear difference exists between hockey and the rest. Underdogs can and do win the Stanley Cup. Multiple teams have a legitimate shot to beat the NHL Futures odds. Eight-seeds upset one-seeds. Counter to the NBA’s predictability the NHL is a crapshoot. Which is the attraction. And the sports betting challenge. With no sure things, the NHL is a perpetual wildcard. Last year a pair of 12-seeds scored, qualifying round wins. Montreal upended Pittsburgh. While Chicago stunned Edmonton. Subsequently, things were chalkier. But Tampa Bay won the Stanley Cup championship. Which was hardly a surprise.
2021 Stanley Cup Championship Futures Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Colorado Avalanche | +750 |
| Tampa Bay Lighting | +800 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | +900 |
| Boston Bruins | +1400 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | +1500 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | +1600 |
| St. Louis Blues | +1900 |
| Washington Capitals | +1900 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | +2000 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | +2200 |
| Calgary Flames | +2500 |
| Dallas Stars | +2500 |
| Edmonton Oilers | +2500 |
| Nashville Predators | +2700 |
| New York Islanders | +2700 |
| New York Rangers | +300 |
| Buffalo Sabres | +3500 |
| Florida Panthers | +3500 |
| Montreal Canadiens | +3500 |
| Vancouver Canucks | +3500 |
| Winnipeg Jets | +3700 |
| San Jose Sharks | +5000 |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | +5500 |
| Minnesota Wild | +5500 |
| Arizona Coyotes | +6000 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | +6000 |
| New Jersey Devils | +6000 |
| Anaheim Ducks | +6500 |
| Los Angeles Kings | +6500 |
| Ottawa Senators | +17500 |
| Detroit Red Wings | +30000 |
2021 Stanley Cup Championship Futures SBG Odds Overview
On this occasion, the Lighting makes for an understandable sportsbook favorite. Tampa Bay has been a consistent contender since their 2015 Eastern Conference title. Gamblers are used to seeding the Bolts at the top of the board. In view of their championship, the price gets higher. Colorado is more of a sophisticated choice. More emphatically the masses haven’t fully bought into them yet. Vegas has been the darling of its local fans. At the beginning of their existence was a public betting influence. Vegas’ loss to Dallas in the Western Conference Final was a boon for sportsbooks.
Colorado Avalanche
Colorado finished strong with a record of 42-20-8. As a consequence of good balance will they be in the hunt again. The Avs ranked 4th for goal scoring and 6th for goals against. Namely, Nathan McKinnon has emerged as a superstar. The first overall pick of the 2013 NHL Draft had 35 goals and 58 assists last season. Goaltender Philipp Grubauer had a .916 save percentage and 2.63 goals-against average. However, he was injured for the climatic series loss to Dallas.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Following their epic 2019 playoff disaster, the Lighting toughened up. Coach Jon Cooper was masterful in guiding Tampa Bay to the Promised Land. Center Brayden Point led with 14 playoff goals and a +12. While defenseman Victor Headman emerged as one of the best. Hedman had 10 goals and 12 assists in the playoffs. Hedman had a +13 in the postseason. And then Andrei Vasilevskiy posted a .927 playoff save percentage and 1.90 goals-against average.
Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas made NHL Betting news all season long in 2020. Pete DeBoer became a coach after the surprise firing of Gerard Gallant. DeBoer quickly improved the Golden Knights’ consistency. Subsequently, he benched franchise marquee man goaltender Marc Andre Fleury for Robin Lehner. Lehner outplayed Fleury with a .917 playoff save percentage and 4 shutouts. Gallant never would have made such a bold move. Defenseman Shea Theodore led in the postseason with 7 goals, 12 assists, and a +7.