It's that time of year, folks.
When bold predictions and bets run rampant with who we think will be the last teams standing in this year's edition of the NHL.
While odds for who is favored to win the Stanley Cup have already been revealed by Vegas handicappers, today, numbers for division winners were released.
Here are the odds for top team by division, according to Bodog.
| Team | Odds to win Atlantic Division |
|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 11/5 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 13/5 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 17/4 |
| Boston Bruins | 7/1 |
| Ottawa Senators | 7/1 |
| Buffalo Sabres | 10/1 |
| Florida Panthers | 10/1 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 25/1 |
If Steven Stamkos can remain healthy atop Tampa's lineup, the Lightning will be a very dangerous team and a legitimate contender coming out of the Eastern Conference.
Anchored on the back end by No. 1 D-man Victor Hedman and starting goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, the Lightning are most definitely bona fide favorites to win the Atlantic Division.
| Team | Odds to win Metropolitan Division |
|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 2/1 |
| Washington Capitals | 5/2 |
| New York Rangers | 7/2 |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 6/1 |
| New York Islanders | 12/1 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 12/1 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | 14/1 |
| New Jersey Devils | 25/1 |
Pittsburgh is the obvious pick in the Metropolitan following back-to-back convincing Cup victories. But, the Penguins would be wise to not rest on their laurels, as the Capitals, Rangers, and Blue Jackets are three teams to consider sprinkling a wager on.
| Team | Odds to win Pacific Division |
|---|---|
| Edmonton Oilers | 9/5 |
| Anaheim Ducks | 13/5 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 4/1 |
| San Jose Sharks | 17/4 |
| Calgary Flames | 6/1 |
| Arizona Coyotes | 33/1 |
| Vancouver Canucks | 33/1 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | 33/1 |
With Connor McDavid leading the charge for the Oilers, laying a bit of loot on them to be the team lifting Lord Stanley's Mug come June becomes a very intriguing option.
Edmonton will face stiff competition for the division crown from the Ducks and the revamped Kings, but expect McJesus and the boys to be the toast of the Pacific Division.
| Team | Odds to win Central Division |
|---|---|
| Chicago Blackhawks | 11/4 |
| Minnesota Wild | 11/4 |
| Dallas Stars | 13/4 |
| Nashville Predators | 13/4 |
| St. Louis Blues | 13/2 |
| Winnipeg Jets | 12/1 |
| Colorado Avalanche | 25/1 |
While Chicago and Minnesota are pegged as the odds-on favorites, this is probably the most wide-open division in the NHL today, with predicting the winner of the Central being no easy task - so tread lightly.
Despite there being obvious value in betting on two perennial playoff threats in the Nashville and St. Louis, the Dallas Stars look to be the most juicy play on this board. With the additions of starting netminder Ben Bishop and top-line winger Alexander Radulov, the Stars have quickly gone from pretenders to contenders.
Plan your bets accordingly.
