Stars’ 2020 Stanley Cup Odds Have Improved from +2000 to +1700 Over the Last Month

• The Dallas Stars lost in Game 7 of the second round of the playoffs last season
• Dallas added Joe Pavelski and Corey Perry in the offseason
• The Stars could be a Stanley Cup contender in the Western Conference, and bettors are taking notice

Early 2020 Stanley Cup bettors are bullish on the Dallas Stars. After a positive offseason, their odds to win the 2020 Stanley Cup continue to shorten. Is this team really a Cup contender and worth the investment? Or should bettors eschew what’s been a one-line team in recent years?

2020 Stanley Cup Odds

*Odds collected Aug. 9, 2019.

Early Action Suggests Stars Should Have A Good Year

The Stars’ odds were at +2000 earlier in the offseason but now they’re down to about +1700, on average. Even if you look at their other futures, like their NHL regular-season point total, bettors have been bullish in that area, too. The Stars  opened at 96.5 but are now up to 97.5, despite playing in a very crowded and competitive Central Division.

Typically, when you’re talking about betting on futures this early in the offseason, it’s sharp money that’s coming in and moving these lines. It doesn’t mean that they’re always right, but if the sharps like these futures, it’s definitely a positive sign.

Stars Had Successful Offseason

It’s easy to see why many bettors like the Stars’ chances in the 2019-20 season. We’re talking about a team that lost in overtime of Game 7 in the second round of the playoffs. That loss was to the eventual Stanley Cup-champion St. Louis Blues. It’s not as if this team was far off to begin with.

In the offseason, they needed to add scoring depth and they did just that. General manager Jim Nill picked up Joe Pavelski, who piled up 38 goals with the San Jose Sharks last season, and added former sniper Corey Perry. Perry is not the 50-goal scorer he once was and is coming off an injury-plagued campaign, but he should still give this offense a boost.

The team also added defenseman Andrej Sekera, who should give the blue line more depth.

Meanwhile, the team’s main subtractions were Mats Zuccarello, which will hurt, but Pavelski likely replaces that production. The team also lost Jason Spezza and, while he’s a brand name, he was a healthy scratch in the playoffs, so he won’t be missed that much.

Why They Can Win The Cup

The Stars were one of the best defensive teams in the NHL last season. Goaltender Ben Bishop finished second in the Vezina Trophy voting and the team finished second in goals allowed per game (2.44). Their main issue was the offense, which averaged 2.56 goals per game after the All-Star break (23rd).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCT080NWhP4

The team was way too reliant on one line as Tyler Seguin, Alexander Radulov and Jamie Benn accounted for 89 goals. The rest of the entire team scored just 120 as no other player had more than 15. However, with Pavelski and Perry, the team is hoping to have at least a couple of lines of scoring.

If that’s the case and young players like Roope Hintz, Miro Heiskanen and Jason Dickinson continue to improve, the Stars are going to be a very complete team. Few teams are better than them at the back end; now they may have enough offense to get the job done.

What’s The Best Bet?

I still like the Stars as a flier at +1700. Their blue line and goaltending is about as good as anyone. Now they have more offense and – in my view – are about one more good offensive piece away from being among the best in the West. That means they’re a trade deadline acquisition away, which they can pull off.

The West is wide open, for the most part, and Dallas has an opening. I like them both for the Stanley Cup futures and the over for their regular-season point total.