2019 Central Division Odds: Jets Still Offered at -125; Is There Value?

• The Jets are slightly favored to win the Central over the Predators.
• Winnipeg is just one point up on Nashville, but has three games in hand.
• Which team is better value?

With the Winnipeg Jets peeling off back-to-back W’s, they now lead the Central Division by one-point with three games in-hand on second-place Nashville and an eight-point cushion over St. Louis in third.

They’re also still paying out -125 at the moment, so there could be some dough to be had if you’re quick.

Odds to Win the 2019 NHL Central Division

*Odds taken 3/4

Bet the Jets now?

Should you decide to play your chips rather than count them at the present time, you could walk away with some change at the end of the day here. The Winnipeg Jets are still going off with relatively decent odds for a team in first and it’s likely because Dustin Byfuglien is out of the lineup once again.

Once Buff returns though and this team gets back to its healthy and consistent ways, this number will grow in the wrong direction. Buff is scheduled to begin skating this week and, by the time he hits the ice, the Jets will likely only have a handful of games remaining. Should you wait, it’s unlikely that the wager will still be available.

The Jets moved into first place in the Central Division with a 5-3 win against the Predators. Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifele and Kevin Hayes each had a goal and two assists for Winnipeg, which leads Nashville by one point. https://t.co/XO61rbpJk4

— NHL.com (@NHLdotcom) March 2, 2019

Now, with all of that said, there are a few plausible reasons to wait on the Jets. The odds will change, but patience could potentially pay (as with any bet ever made). You see the Winnipeg schedule for the next few weeks is not one to be envied.

The Jets will now play the Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals, San Jose Sharks, Boston Bruins and Calgary Flames through the next 12 days. Thankfully for them, things will then change in a hurry after that gauntlet and they’ll be gifted a pair of gimmes against the Kings and Ducks.

Will Nashville surge?

With the Jets’ ugly next few weeks, the Preds could move back into first. They do have three fewer games remaining than their first-place counterparts, but if they can string together some W’s fast, that may not matter.

Nashville will have a good shot at moving up the divisional ladder once their flashy new acquisitions become acclimatized. Mikael Granlund and Wayne Simmonds, their trade deadline additions, have only added two assists and a combined eleven shots so far. If these two pick up the pace, this team could be deadly; the defense and goaltending is elite.

On top of that, the Preds will face the Kings and Ducks in a few days and still have future dates with the sinking Canucks and Blackhawks as well.

Why you should not wait on Winnipeg

We can’t emphasize enough that the team has three games in-hand. In other words, the quicker the Predators get to the finish line, the quicker that -125 payout on Winnipeg is going to decrease. If you’re looking to see some sort of value out of the Jets, this will likely be the highest payout you’ll see in the final weeks of the season.

#NHLJets HC Paul Maurice said the plan is for Dustin Byfuglien (ankle) to start skating later this week. Joe Morrow (lower body) skated for the first time since suffering the injury on Sat

— Ken Wiebe (@WiebeAthletic) March 3, 2019

Oh, right, and there’s that. With the big man back to further bolster the blue line, which in his absence still has not really shown too many holes, this team could be an unstoppable force with six games remaining against out-of-playoff teams (as of the writing of this article).