The puck dropped on the 2022-23 NHL season on Friday in Prague, Czech Republic when Nashville beat San Jose, 4-1. On Saturday, Nashville swept the two-game international series, beating the Sharks 3-2 as -175 favorites.
On Tuesday, the New York Rangers will host the Tampa Bay Lightning in a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference Finals, followed by the Vegas Golden Knights hosting the Los Angeles Kings at the Fortress.
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The defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche, who are favored to repeat as champions, will begin their season on Wednesday when they host Vancouver.
Colorado defenseman Cale Makar, who was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy and the Norris Trophy, is back to anchor a lethal Avalanche power play unit. Oddsmakers at SI Sportsbook, who listed the Western Conference power as the betting favorite in Stanley Cup futures from start to finish last season, have Jared Bednar’s squad installed as the favorite (+400) to go back-to-back.
The Avalanche return a roster of incredible young talent consisting of Makar, Nathan McKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin who are all under the age of 30. However, the Avs — who lost Nazem Kadri to Calgary in free agency — are going to be thin at center to start the season as Landeskog is out due to a lower-body injury.
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The Lightning, who have hoisted the Stanley Cup in two of the last three seasons, are the fifth overall betting choice at odds of +1000. Tampa Bay will need to find a way to replace star forward Ondrej Palat, who signed with the New Jersey Devils in the offseason. The veteran, who spent his first 10 seasons in the NHL with Tampa Bay, was a pivotal piece for the franchise’s championship squads.
Sandwiched in between the two teams who reached last season’s Stanley Cup Final are the Toronto Maple Leafs (+850), Carolina Hurricanes (+900) and Florida Panthers (+900). Oddsmakers have Toronto power-ranked as the top team in the Eastern Conference due to last season’s leading NHL goal scorer, Auston Matthews.
The New York Rangers, who possess the best goalie in the NHL in Igor Shesterkin, lost key postseason contributors Andrew Copp and Frankie Vatrano. The Blueshirts did add veteran center Vincent Trochek, adding solid depth down the middle behind Mika Zibanejad, Barclay Goodrow and Filip Chytil. At odds of +1400, the Blueshirts are one of the best values on the betting board following an appearance in last season’s Eastern Conference Finals.
As always, bettors should look for value in futures’ wagering and any team that possesses a superstar tandem of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl fits that mold. If Jack Campbell, who was 48-12 with a 2.39 GAA with Toronto the last two seasons, can give the Oilers stability between the pipes, then Edmonton lands as the best double-digit odds target.
The Chicago Blackhawks (+17500) and Arizona Coyotes (+25000) have the longest odds of any club to win the 2023 Stanley Cup.
Check the Latest Odds from SI Sportsbook
ODDS TO WIN 2023 STANLEY CUP
Colorado +400
Toronto +850
Carolina +900
Florida +900
Tampa Bay +1000
Calgary +1300
Edmonton +1300
Minnesota +1400
Pittsburgh +1400
NY Rangers +1400
Vegas +1400
Boston +2200
NY Islanders +2500
LA Kings +2500
St. Louis +2500
Washington +3500
Dallas +3500
Nashville +3500
Vancouver +4000
Ottawa +4000
Buffalo +5000
Detroit +5000
Winnipeg +5000
NJ Devils +6000
Columbus +6600
Philadelphia +6600
Anaheim +6600
Seattle +8000
San Jose +10000
Montreal +10000
Chicago +17500
Arizona +25000
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Frankie Taddeo is a successful high-stakes fantasy football player who created the first-ever DFS program ever offered in a Las Vegas sportsbook. Frankie is SI Betting’s Senior Analyst and provides his significant experience and resources in the sports betting scene. You can follow Frankie on Twitter @Frankie_Fantasy for his latest betting and fantasy insights from Las Vegas.
