The Boston Bruins have the best record in the NHL entering Monday, but several sportsbooks do not view the defending Eastern Conference champions as the betting favorite to win the 2020 Stanley Cup Final.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are the Stanley Cup favorites at +500 odds at DraftKings Sportsbook. The Bruins are not too far behind at +750. Here are DraftKings' latest Stanley Cup futures odds.
1. Tampa Bay Lightning: +500
2. Boston Bruins: +750
3. Colorado Avalanche: +850
4. St. Louis Blues: +1000
5. Pittsburgh Penguins: +1050
6. Washington Capitals: +1100
7. Dallas Stars: +1300
8. Vegas Golden Knights: +1300
9. Toronto Maple Leafs: +2000
10. Carolina Hurricanes: +2100
The Lightning are really good, and they're playing well at the perfect time. Tampa Bay has won 10 consecutive games to move within three points (with one less game played) of Boston for first place in the league, conference and the Atlantic Division. The Lightning also made a trade over the weekend to acquire New Jersey Devils forward Blake Coleman, who would've been a good fit on the Bruins.
LIVE stream the Celtics all season and get the latest news and analysis on all of your teams from NBC Sports Boston by downloading the My Teams App.
However, it's a little hard to trust the Lightning after last season's collapse. Tampa Bay enjoyed a historically dominant regular season but was swept in the first round in embarrassing fashion by the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Bruins have a veteran core that knows how to win in the playoffs. Boston has made three Stanley Cup Final appearance since 2010, and this 2019-20 team might be its best over that stretch. The Bruins rank No. 6 in goals scored per game and No. 1 in goals against average. They are the most balanced team in the league, and their goaltending edge over the Lightning is impossible to ignore.
Boston Bruins
The Bruins are a decent value bet right now at +750. These are pretty good odds for a team leading the Presidents' Trophy race in mid-February. We also shouldn't sleep on the St. Louis Blues, who might actually be the best value bet at +1000. The defending champs haven't suffered through the dreaded Stanley Cup hangover and enter Monday tied atop the Central Division.