Too Early To Bet?

With 82 games in their season, the NHL is similar to other sports like basketball and baseball in its length. But that’s about as far as the similarities run in terms of how the sports are played. One thing you will find similar with the sports off the respective ice, court and playing field, however, is the betting world. People are always laying their money down on whichever teams they think stand the best chance.

With the NHL season just getting started, is it too early to bet on who will make the Stanley Cup Finals and who will walk away with the trophy?

No, it’s never too early for gambling. If you’re an avid sports-better, then you’re probably leaving the New York Times at the news stand and picking up the laptop to check out online casino reviews and line odds with your morning coffee. So placing some money down on the long shots at this juncture is pretty much par for the course when dealing with gamblers.

So, which team is more heavily favored and which teams are viewed as bottom rung at this juncture?

In the NHL Eastern, the Pittsburgh Penguins are looking incredibly strong in the odds market, at an impressive 6:1, but it’s actually the NY Islanders who have the early Atlantic division lead. NY is certainly one of the biggest long shots in the entire league, coming in at 100:1 to make it to the Cup Finals. So, all things being equal, $1 gets you $100 now – and if the Islanders can keep the momentum up, then it’s not at all impossible that they’d win and net you a huge payday.

The NY Rangers are a few rungs down in the same division, but they’re actually heavily favored in comparison to the Islanders. The Rangers are pulling 40:1 at the moment – not bad at all for the team when you consider the rest of the field. Would a bet pay off? Nobody knows that; that’s what makes it so fun to bet.

Outside of the New York squads in the Atlantic, who’s the odds-on favorite to win in the Eastern in general? That would be the Washington Capitals, currently with the best odds in the entire league at 5:1. The odds will certainly adjust as the season progresses, but they’re easily tops in the NHL right now.

Following closely are the Chicago Blackhawks—their projected opponents—at 6:1. Chicago is atop the Central and will probably stay that way, give or take, for the duration of the season.

Of course, sports-betting isn’t anything like playing baccarat online. We all know things can change and change rapidly. Maybe one of the NY squads can really put something together and drive the odds up. It all remains to be seen as of yet, and that’s exactly what draws most people to gambling in the first place.