Stanley Cup Odds: Bruins Favorites as Season Pauses

by OddsShark (@OddsShark) – Sponsored Post

The Boston Bruins have easily been the NHL’s best team through 70 games, already becoming the only one to post 100 points for the third consecutive year while some teams around the league have played more and others less. That is why the Bruins are listed as +600 favorites (bet $100 to win $600) on the Stanley Cup odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com, assuming the 2019-20 season resumes sometime soon.

However, the longer the campaign is delayed as a result of the COVID-19 virus, the less likely it will finish as scheduled – or at all for that matter. There is a possibility that clubs will instead be forced to start focusing on next year rather than this year, with the health of the players, fans and everyone around the globe remaining the biggest priority.

That said, hockey bettors are dreaming of a happy ending to the season nevertheless and hoping for a quicker resolution, which would at least allow for a postseason and culminate with the Stanley Cup being presented to a champion. The long layoff might end up hurting a favorite like Boston and helping some of the longer shots at sports betting sites such as the Carolina Hurricanes (+3300) or Winnipeg Jets  (+5000), who would seemingly be in the playoff field based on their current status as the Wild Card leaders.

Maybe the Hurricanes or Jets could knock out one of the top two seeds in a shortened first-round series. Maybe the Bruins would be even stronger because they could be completely healthy depending on whether or not any of them are eventually impacted by the virus. The Philadelphia Flyers (+900) were one of the NHL’s hottest teams before action was suspended, and maybe their mojo will be long gone by the time it resumes.

Four teams to watch though that were affected by key injuries prior to the suspension of play are the Tampa Bay Lightning (+700 at online betting sites), Vegas Golden Knights (+700), Colorado Avalanche (+800) and Pittsburgh Penguins (+1600). All have the potential to go on a Cup run if Boston falters because each has the talent and depth to go the distance.

Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for analysis on this week’s top games. As well, the OddsShark Computer serves up daily NHL picks for bettors.