Unlike the NBA and the NFL, who ramp up games during the holidays, the NHL traditionally takes at least three days off over Christmas. Teams last met on Friday and won’t resume play until Tuesday, which gives us some downtime to review and evaluate where each team is as we near the halfway point of the hockey season.
Stanley Cup Odds
Heading into the break, the Boston Bruins (+600) are the clear favorites to win the President’s Trophy for the best record in the league and the Stanley Cup. After 33 games, Boston is 27-4-2 (18-0-2 at home) and is playing at 139 point pace, well ahead of their nearest rival, Carolina Hurricanes (22-6-6), pacing to 120 points. The Toronto Maple Leafs (21-7-6), who play in the Atlantic Division with the Bruins, factor out to 115 points.
To get a better sense of where the Bruins are at this point of the season, the Florida Panthers had the best record in hockey last season and finished with 122 points. Boston is 17 points ahead of that pace.
Unfortunately, there is probably nowhere to go but down for the Bruins, who have come together under new coach Jim Montgomery. That might mean some value plays when it comes to betting, including the season-opening favorite and defending champions Colorado Avalance (+650), the Vegas Golden Knights (+900), and the impossible-to-write-off Tampa Bay Lightning (+1400).
According to the bookmakers and casino managers at Mr. Bet Online Casino, two darkhorse bets of interest are the Dallas Stars and New Jersey Devils.
Dallas (+1800) looks like good value in what seems to be the softer Western Conference. Goalie Jake Oettinger headlines a team that includes Jason Robertson (tied for 3rd in scoring), Roope Hintz, defenseman Miro Heiskanen and veterans Jamie Benn and Joe Pavelski. The Stars sit on top of the Central Division at the Christmas break with a 20-9-6 record while leading the conference in scoring with 3.52 goals per game.
New Jersey (+2000) has been going through a rough patch (3-6-1 over their last ten games) and has fallen behind the red-hot Hurricanes. However, the Devils still have the best goal differential (+28) in the Metropolitan Division, which also is third-best in the league. They have three challenging games coming out of the break (Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, Hurricanes), so we might quickly see if they’re worth their salt.
Top 10 Odds to Win the 2022-23 Stanley Cup
- Boston Bruins +650
- Colorado Avalanche +700
- Vegas Golden Knights +900
- Carolina Hurricanes +1000
- Toronto Maple Leafs +1000
- Tampa Bay Lightning +1400
- Dallas Stars +1800
- New Jersey Devils +2000
- Calgary Flames +2000
- Pittsburgh Penguins +2000
Metropolitan Division Odds
Despite losing starting netminder Freddie Andersen for over a month due to injury, the Hurricanes (+160) have surged to the top of the Metropolitan Division standings. The team went into the break on an 8-game win streak and is 9-0-1 over their last ten contests. The Devils (+350) are just 4 points back, ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins (+500) and the New York Rangers (+800), who both trail by 7 points. It might be worth taking a flyer on New York in what looks to be the most competitive division in hockey.
Atlantic Division Odds
With Boston the favorite to win the Stanley Cup, they’re favored to win the Atlantic Division (and Eastern Conference). The Bruins (-260) currently have a commanding 8-point lead over the Maple Leafs (+360) with a game in hand and a 15-point lead over the Lightning (+1100). This is a two-horse race between Boston and Toronto, so bet accordingly.
Central Division Odds
Just when you think the division-leading Dallas Stars (+175) are a good bet, it helps to remember that the defending Colorado Avalanche (+210) is truly a sleeping giant in the division and the conference. The defending are sitting in third place behind the Stars and Winnipeg Jets (+550), tied with the Minnesota Wild (+550) just 6 points off the pace with games in hand. The team has played without captain Gabriel Landeskog since the start of the season and Nathan MacKinnon since the first week of December. Both players are scheduled to return in the next few weeks. Expect Colorado to at least make a run as they work to defend their championship.
Pacific Division Odds
The once proud Pacific Division seems to be a shadow of its former self. Currently, the Vegas Golden Knights (-140) sit on top with 49 points, 5 points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings (+1400) and 9 points above the Seattle Kraken (+900), but it’s the Calgary Flames (+700), and Edmonton Oilers (+750) who seem to be the betting favorites after Vegas. The Flames are 10 points back, while the Oilers sit 11 behind, with both teams having a game in hand. At this point of the season, it’s the Golden Knights to lose, but any of the top five teams could take the crown.