NHL futures: Are these surprising favorites worth betting on to win the Stanley Cup?
At roughly the halfway point of the NHL season, it's clear who the frontrunners are to win the Stanley Cup in the spring.
Sportsbooks across the board seem to agree that the Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche and New York Rangers are the heavy favorites to hoist Lord Stanley's Mug at the end of the season. The defending champion Vegas Golden Knights are still lingering toward the top of the list, as are the always-competitive Carolina Hurricanes.
But there are two teams out in the Western Conference that have crept up the odds list that fans and bettors should be aware of. The Dallas Stars, who are third in the Central Division, are now listed at 10-1 odds at DraftKings to win the Stanley Cup while the Los Angeles Kings, who are third in the Pacific, are now listed at 13-1.
Do oddsmakers know something that we don't? Is one of these surprising favorites the team you should be betting on this season?
It isn't completely out of left field that these two teams have oddsmakers listing them favorably. Despite neither team winning a Cup within the last decade — L.A. last won in 2014, while Dallas hasn't won since 1999 — both teams have made the playoffs in consecutive seasons. The Stars got all the way to the Western Conference Final before being bumped by the eventual champion Golden Knights four games to two. Since both the Kings and Stars are trending in the right direction, it's easier to see why sportsbooks like DK expect them to make a successful playoff run.
Both the Kings and Stars have also played well this season against elite competition with shorter odds. L.A. defeated Colorado 4-1 on Dec. 3 while Dallas exploded for a five-goal third period against New York on Nov. 20 en route to a 6-3 victory. The Stars even held on to get one point against the Golden Knights on Nov. 22 in a 2-1 overtime loss, which could be a confidence booster should these teams rematch in the playoffs.
Before you choose to put money down on either the Stars or the Kings, it's worth it to see how each team fares in January. The Kings play nine away games compared to the Stars' six, but are the best road team in the league at 13-2-1. That being said, L.A. faces tougher competition with the Rangers and the Hurricanes coming up on the schedule, while Dallas faces closer competition in the Minnesota Wild and Nashville Predators this month.
Need a real gauge of which of these teams you should consider putting money on to win the Stanley Cup? The Stars host the Kings at American Airlines Center on Jan. 16. Puck drop for that game is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.
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