Odds on Which Division Will Win the 2020 Stanley Cup: Atlantic Listed as Favorites, Pacific a Close Second
- Bettors can wager on which NHL division will win the 2020 Stanley Cup
- Three of the Stanley Cup favorites are in the Atlantic Division
- Vegas and Calgary give the Pacific Division two legitimate contenders
The latest NHL prop lets bettors pick which of the four divisions (Atlantic, Metro, Central, Pacific) will produce the 2020 Stanley Cup winner.
The Atlantic Division is the only division in the NHL to fail to produce a Stanley Cup winner since the league underwent realignment back in 2014. There’s a good chance that changes in the upcoming campaign, with the Atlantic Division favored at +240.
Which NHL Division Will Produce 2020 Stanley Cup Champion?
| Division | Odds |
|---|---|
| Atlantic | +240 |
| Pacific | +280 |
| Central | +300 |
| Metropolitan | +310 |
Atlantic Division Contenders Dominate Top of NHL Futures
The Atlantic Division was represented in this spring’s Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2015, but not by the team that most observers expected. Seizing the opportunity created by the first-round ouster of the President’s Trophy-winning Tampa Bay Lightning, the Boston Bruins enjoyed an easier-than-expected road to their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 2011, before falling to the St. Louis Blues in six games.
Winners of 62 games last season, the Lightning’s stunning opening-round loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets has not dampened the club’s odds of lifting the Cup in 2020.
Winners of 62 games last season, the Lightning’s stunning opening-round loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets has not dampened the club’s odds of lifting the Cup in 2020.
With the NHL offseason approaching the midway mark, the Lightning remain +850 chalk in the 2020 Stanley Cup odds, leading a trio of Atlantic Division contenders that sit among the favorites on the NHL futures, and fueling strong odds of next season’s Stanley Cup champion coming from the Eastern Conference.
The Colombus Blue Jackets take game 4 and sweep the Tampa Bay Lightning. What a statement #NHL #BlueJackets #Lightning pic.twitter.com/qqhmW1KyfQ
— Take Your Base Sports (@takeyourbasepod) April 17, 2019
Despite running out of gas in their Stanley Cup Final clash with the Blues, the Bruins continue to sit second to the Lightning in the Stanley Cup futures, joining the Vegas Golden Knights at +1000, just ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who closely trail at +1200.
While the Bruins still have work to do to get restricted free agent defencemen Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo signed to new contracts, they are poised to return to action in the fall with last season’s core intact, and as a legitimate contender to make a fourth Stanley Cup Final appearance in 10 years.
Leafs Face Daunting Task of Rewriting Playoff Narrative
The challenge facing the Maple Leafs is somewhat greater. Toronto has been a fixture at or near the top of the Stanley Cup odds during while recording consecutive 100-point seasons, but playoff success has continued to elude the club, with the Maple Leafs making early playoff exits in each of the past three seasons, falling to Boston in seven games in each of the past two years.
Second straight year Bruins send the Maple Leafs and their fans home with a Game 7 loss…..
— Dan Roche (@RochieWBZ) April 24, 2019
The Maple Leafs have also made moves to shake up their roster this summer in a bid to find the right mix that will take the team to the next level in the postseason, while freeing up precious salary cap space to be used to sign restricted free agent Mitch Marner.
Also buoying the odds of Atlantic Division success next spring by the expected return to postseason contention of the Florida Panthers following three straight seasons outside the playoff picture. The Panthers have bulked up this offseason, most notably with the signing of free agent goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, and have emerged as an intriguing +1000 dark horse to finish atop the Atlantic Division.
Golden Knights, Sharks Among Pacific Division Best Bets
Further down the odds on which division will produce next season’s Stanley Cup winner, the Pacific Division sits second at +280, while the Central and Metropolitan lag at +300 and +310, respectively.
The Golden Knights lead a rapidly improving Pacific Division contingent that includes the San Jose Sharks and Calgary Flames. The battle-hardened Sharks are once again being underestimated on the Stanley Cup odds, where they are pegged at a distant +2200. While the Flames lag at +1800 after leading the Western Conference with 107 points last season.
Relive every moment from the @GoldenKnights and @SanJoseSharks remarkable series! #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/rnq6kkWfHf
— NHL (@NHL) April 24, 2019
Playoff Experience Gives Central Division the Edge
And those sports bettors ignoring the Central Division as an attractive +300 wager to produce next season’s Stanley Cup winner do so at their own peril. The Blues’ bruising but talented core is also expected to remain intact for their Stanley Cup defense, fueling the reigning champions’ +1600 odds on the Stanley Cup futures.
On the Central Division and the arms race that’s only intensifying https://t.co/cgu6ZaUkmw
— Scott Billeck (@ScottBilleck) July 14, 2019
However, St. Louis will have to contend with divisional rivals with plenty of playoff experience in Winnipeg and Nashville, not to mention the upstart Colorado Avalanche, who have joined the favorites as a +1300 Stanley Cup bet after adding critical depth to a young, talented with the addition of Andre Burakovsky and Nazem Kadri.
Pick: Central Division (+300)
Daniel has been writing about sports and sports betting for over 23 years. The seasoned pro has contributed to the likes of Sports Illustrated, Sportsnet, NESN, Bleacher Report, OddsShark, the Globe and Mail, and The Nation magazine.
