Heading into the 2022-23 NHL season, everyone in the Pittsburgh Penguins locker room is confident in their abilities to win games.
National sports books recognize their confidence and natural skill set and gave the Penguins healthy odds to come out on top of the Metropolitan Division.
According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Penguins hold the second highest odds to win the division behind only the Carolina Hurricanes.
Not far behind the Penguins with the third best odds is the New York Rangers, the team that bested them in the opening round of the 2022 postseason.
As the top three teams the Hurricanes hold +200 odds, the Penguins not far off with +280, and the Rangers at +350.
It’s a little surprising to see the Penguins given such good odds since it is a majority of the same squad that lost to the Rangers, and they are a whole year older.
The expectations for the Penguins heading into 2022-23, however, have been higher than years past.
As veterans like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin age, pundits in years past have been quick to write the Penguins off.
Some have gone as far to predict that they would miss the playoffs; but everyone, including oddsmakers, are back on the Penguins bandwagon.
Everyone has high hopes for the Penguins in 2022-23, and sportsbooks have joined that group.
For those wondering, the Penguins are given +2,000 odds to win the Stanley Cup, good for ninth in the NHL.
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