Updated 2018 Stanley Cup Odds – March 8th

Most of the NHL’s 31 teams have fewer than 20 games remaining in their regular season slate, which means that there are fewer and fewer opportunities to make a charge up the standings and take a playoff spot. The Vegas Golden Knights have finally been showing some signs of mortality lately, and the Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets have taken advantage in the West, shooting past them in the conference standings. The Boston Bruins have made a similar charge in the East, coming out of nowhere to challenge Tampa Bay for the top of the standings thanks to a commitment to defense. Let’s look at the latest 2018 Stanley Cup betting odds for each team to win at the end of the postseason.

Updated 2018 Stanley Cup Odds – March 8th

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Vegas, Tampa Bay 

• Stanley Cup Odds: +600

If you’re going to slump a bit, you want to do it now instead of in the postseason. But can this roster without any stars in Vegas get lightning back into a bottle? In Tampa Bay, adding J.T. Miller and Ryan McDonagh at the trade deadline solved the last two problems on the roster, so if you’re picking a heavy favorite, I’d start with the Lightning.

Nashville, Pittsburgh 

• Stanley Cup Odds: +700

Interesting to see last year’s finalists sharing these odds. The Predators have the league’s best points percentage, and they rolled up an eight-game winning streak. At the deadline, they added Mike Fisher and Ryan Hartman. In Pittsburgh, you saw a team that was trailing in Philadelphia on Wednesday night, 1-0, and then flip a switch and simply skate the Flyers into the ground, rolling to a 5-2 win. No one plays better offense than the Penguins when they’re rolling — but they don’t always roll enough.

Boston 

• Stanley Cup Odds: +800

The Bruins showed that they could out-offense the Penguins in an eye-popping 8-4 win. So even when that revamped Boston defense shows some gaps, the offense can take over. The only reason they’re sitting here in the odds is their penchant for choking in the past.

Winnipeg, Toronto 

• Stanley Cup Odds: +1100

The Jets added Paul Stastny at the deadline without having to give up much of value, making their offense even scarier. In Toronto, Mike Babcock has this rebuilding project turned into a contender. Did you know that they are 13-3-2 in their last 18 games, and they don’t even have their top player, Auston Matthews?

Washington 

• Stanley Cup Odds: +1400

The Capitals are watching Alex Ovechkin approach 600 career goals and 50 goals on the season. But the rest of the team is slipping a bit offensively. This team may just be tired after so many deep runs.

Anaheim 

• Stanley Cup Odds: +1800

The goaltending duo of Ryan Miller and John Gibson have posted a combined .925 save percentage. That’s helped a lot while so many of their players have spent time on the shelf.

Dallas 

• Stanley Cup Odds: +2200

When you can play defense, and your offense doesn’t have to score six goals a night, then you can make the playoffs. The Stars seem to believe this again, at least over the last two-thirds of the season. I’m not sure they can put together a winning playoff series, though, and if Kari Lehtonen has to play in goal, expect them to give up a backbreaking tally just when things are looking brightest.

St. Louis 

• Stanley Cup Odds: +2500

This team which looked so solid is heading down the drain. They’re losing games at a steady clip, and the injury bug has shown up big-time.

More 2018 Stanley Cup Odds

• Minnesota, San Jose, Philadelphia +2800
• Calgary, Los Angeles +3300
• New Jersey +4000
• Columbus +5000
• N.Y. Islanders, Colorado +6600
• Carolina, Florida +7500
• N.Y. Rangers, Chicago, Detroit +30000

Three of the Original Six way down here in the odds? Detroit seems the farthest along in the rebuilding phase of these three clubs, but all of them face a long climb to get back into contention. The Rangers have stopped playing defense — did you know that in Henrik Lundqvist’s last two wins in net, he had to make at least 50 saves in each?