This NHL season is really going by quickly, with most teams already 28 games or so into their year. At this point, we kind of know who is a real contender for the Stanley Cup this season and who is vying for the No. 1 overall pick. Over at BetMGM, we have seen teams rise and fall through the odds board, but there has remained one constant at the top of the leaderboard. The Edmonton Oilers were the preseason favorite to win the Stanley Cup in 2024, and a little more than a quarter of the way in, they remain that way.
Let’s take a look at the top five teams on the odds board right now: Oilers +750, Hurricanes +800, Stars +900, Panthers +900, Avalanche +1100.
Looking at those names, you probably wouldn’t be shocked to see any of them as favorites. However, you might be a bit surprised to still see Edmonton at the top. They are just 16-10-2 on the year, with 34 points and third place in the Pacific Division behind the Golden Knights (39 pts) and Kings (37 pts). They haven’t been bad, per se, but they also haven’t played like a dominant team or a Stanley Cup champion. So why are they still at the top of the oddsboard? That is what I call the Connor McDavid effect.
The superstar is the best player in the NHL, and as long as he remains healthy with this roster and they don’t fall too far down the standings, I don’t think they are going to be outside of the top five favorites any time soon. Edmonton is infamous at this point for their slow starts as well. People were writing them off last season when they started off terribly and fired their coach, calling for McDavid to be traded. They ended up coming within a single game of winning a championship.
Personally, I think this is a very good team that will start to have better results again as the season rolls on. They are getting a ton of shots on net offensively, averaging 32 per game, but scoring only 3.00 goals per contest. I expect that number to rise. On defense, they have been one of the best teams in the NHL, allowing just 26 shots on net. To me, they have been pretty unlucky to this point and have also had to deal with some injuries to start their year.
I don’t think I’d bet them at this short of a number, but if the books have them at 10/1 or longer at some point, I think a sprinkle is certainly warranted on a late-blooming team.
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