NHL Futures: Do sportsbooks in U.S., Canada differ on Stanley Cup favorite?

Since online sportsbooks are now legal in almost 30 states across the U.S., first-time bettors have a variety of mobile books to choose from when they want to place their bets. There is a healthy variety of major sportsbook apps to choose from, and while the odds they post may vary they usually seem to agree on most obvious favorites and overwhelming underdogs. 

Do those odds vary depending on which side of the U.S.-Canadian border you are wagering on?

For BetMGM, the quick answer to that question is "no." Both the stateside mobile sportsbook and its Canadian counterpart each have the Avalanche listed as the 8-1 favorite to win the Stanley Cup next spring. They are followed by the Carolina Hurricanes at 9-1, then the Maple Leafs at 19-2 and the Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils and Vegas Golden Knights all listed at 10-1.

Bet365 offered a slightly different story. At the stateside mobile book, the Avalanche and Golden Knights are the 7-1 favorites to win the Cup, followed by the Dallas Stars at 9-1 and the Leafs at 10-1. While Bet365's Canadian book couldn't be accessed outside of the Great White North, a listicle from the site on teams with the best odds to win the Cup as of Oct. 9 was available: It called the Leafs the preseason 8-1 favorite to win the Cup, while sites such as DraftKings had the Hurricanes listed as the favorite.

With access restricted for sites in Canada, it's difficult to tell exactly whether odds on the Stanley Cup favorite vary depending on which side of the border you're wagering from. We'll have to continue checking to see if there are any more signs of differences. Stay tuned.