Odds of Canadian Team Winning Stanley Cup Set at +500; Eastern Conference (-130) Favored Over West

• Props for the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs are available for bettors
• The Eastern Conference and United States are favored to produce the Cup winner
• How should you bet on these Stanley Cup props?

Props for the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs have been released. You can wager on which country and which conference will produce the Stanley Cup winner with the Eastern Conference slightly favored over the West and the United States heavily favored over Canada.

There is no Canadian team among the top-10 favorites in the 2020 Stanley Cup odds, while the West and East each have five teams among the top-10.

What is the best value for these playoff props?

Odds to Win 2020 Stanley Cup by Country

Odds as of June 15th. 

Oddsmakers really aren’t liking the chances of a Canadian team bringing home the Stanley Cup in 2020. History would agree, as the last time a Canadian team won the Cup was back in 1993 when the Montreal Canadiens defeated the LA Kings.

These playoffs are unique, however, and you should only be laying such heavy juice if you are certain an American team will be victorious. I don’t see that this year with six of the seven Canadian teams having a shot at the Cup due to the NHL’s 24-team Return-to-Play format.

👀 The boys are back in town#LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/E5RawZPpFt

— Toronto St. Pats (@MapleLeafs) June 11, 2020

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers fall just outside the top-10 in the Stanley Cup odds and are primed to make some noise this postseason. Toronto has one of the most talented rosters on paper and will be facing immense pressure to perform after three straight first-round exits.

Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid finished first and second in the NHL scoring race and carried the team to within one game of the Conference Final last time they made the playoffs.

The other reason to consider going against the grain is the longshots. Vancouver has plenty of youthful talent and will benefit from MVP-caliber goaltender Jacob Markstrom returning to full health.

The winner of the Winnipeg Jets vs. Calgary Flames play-in round could also make a run. Connor Hellebuyck is a Vezina favorite, while the Flames are out to erase their last two poor playoff performances.

All in all, Canadian teams should be allotted more than a 16.7% chance to win the Cup, which is what +500 implies.

Pick: Canadian Team To Win Stanley Cup (+500)

Odds to Win 2020 Stanley Cup by Conference

The Eastern Conference is favored over the Western Conference to bring home the 2020 Stanley Cup, which makes sense when you consider that three of the top-four teams in the Cup odds are from the East. After four straight years of the West winning from 2012-2015, the Eastern Conference has produced the Cup winner in three of the last four seasons.

There are certainly some strong contenders in the West, but it’s hard not to feel confident betting the favorite in this prop when you look at Boston and Tampa Bay. The Bruins are a powerhouse and won the Presidents’ Trophy this season with an incredible 44-14-12 record. They fell just one game short to the St. Louis Blues in 2019.

"From the start of the regular season, until the pause, our group was focused and determined every day when they came to work."#NHLBruins President Cam Neely on the Bruins winning the Presidents' Trophy

Details: https://t.co/9pTI9hkvkx

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) May 28, 2020

The Lightning are another elite contender who will be very motivated after being upset by the Blue Jackets in the first round of last year’s postseason. Tampa has a wealth of talent at every position and will be getting back superstar forward Steven Stamkos and top blueliner Victor Hedman, who were both nursing injuries leading up to the pause.

The Blues and Vegas Golden Knights might be the most complete teams in the West, but the Bruins and Lightning both posted better goal differentials and possess better high-end talent. You also have to take in to account that the Blues won in 2019 and only one team in the salary cap era (starting 2004-05) has ever won the cup back-to-back: the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017.

The Eastern Conference also has great longshots. Toronto is one threat, as mentioned above, but there are three other very strong contenders in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Washington. You can never count out Alex Ovechkin’s Capitals, while Jake Guentzel will be reuniting with Sidney Crosby for another run in Pittsburgh after having time to recover from his shoulder injury.

The Flyers were red-hot leading up to the pause, posting a 9-1 record and surging into the #4 seed in the East. With all the elite, healthy talent in the conference, betting on the East is the play.

Pick: Eastern Conference Team To Win Stanley Cup (-130)