NHL playoffs odds 2018: Predators Stanley Cup betting favorites entering the postseason

The Nashville Predators earned the Presidents’ Trophy for finishing the regular season with the most points in the NHL, racking up 117 with a record of 53-18-11. The Predators will try to become the first team since the 2012/13 Chicago Blackhawks to win the Presidents’ Trophy and go on to win the Stanley Cup.

Nashville is a +375 favorite on the odds to win the Stanley Cup at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. Going up against the Colorado Avalanche in a series that starts on Thursday, the Predators are far and away the biggest favorite in the first round going off at -400 on the playoff series prices to advance over Colorado (+330).

The Predators are also the biggest favorite on the board in Game 1 going off as -290 favorites over the Avalanche (+245).

Only one point separated the Boston Bruins and the Tampa Bay Lightning atop the Atlantic Division in the standings at the end of the regular season with the Lightning earning the division’s top spot. Boston enters the postseason as a slightly bigger favorite to win the Stanley Cup at +550 to Tampa Bay’s +600, but the Lightning have a much more favorable first-round matchup.

Tampa Bay is a -300 favorite in its series against the New Jersey Devils (+250) while Boston is only a -160 favorite against the Toronto Maple Leafs (+140).

The Vegas Golden Knights follow the Lightning on the betting board at +750 to win the Stanley Cup, way down from the +20000 they were going off at before the season began.

The Knights are clearly being considered to be a far more legitimate Stanley Cup contender in the Pacific Division than the Anaheim Ducks (+2000 to win the Stanley Cup), Los Angeles Kings (+2200) and San Jose Sharks (+2500), but all three of these teams play an extremely physical brand of hockey that could give a team like the Golden Knights with no playoff experience some trouble.

Los Angeles is only a +110 underdog to win its first-round series against Vegas at -130.

Value hunters may take a shot on the Winnipeg Jets (+800) or Pittsburgh Penguins (+1000) on the 2018 Stanley Cup odds.

Winnipeg finished only three points behind Nashville in the standings and is peaking at the right time with a 9-1 record over its last 10 games. Pittsburgh is battle tested in the Stanley Cup playoffs and has won the championship in each of the last two seasons.

NHL Odds to Win the Stanley Cup

Nashville Predators +375

Boston Bruins +550

Tampa Bay Lightning +600

Vegas Golden Knights +750

Winnipeg Jets +800

Pittsburgh Penguins +1000

Toronto Maple Leafs +1100

Washington Capitals +1100

Anaheim Ducks +2000

Los Angeles Kings +2200

San Jose Sharks +2500

Philadelphia Flyers +2500

Columbus Blue Jackets +2800

Minnesota Wild +3000

Colorado Avalanche +3300

New Jersey Devils +3300

For more odds information, betting picks, and a breakdown of this week’s top sports betting news check out the OddsShark podcast with Jon Campbell and Andrew Avery. Subscribe on iTunes or listen to it at OddsShark.libsyn.com.