The National Hockey League (NHL) is made up of 32 professional ice hockey teams in two conferences and four divisions. The Stanley Cup is awarded at the end of each season to the league playoff champion. The first half of the season is over. There are still months to the playoffs. There’s been enough chance to watch the teams and players in action, so it’s possible to make some educated guesses on futures betting.
Who will win the Stanley Cup?
Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2022 when they dethroned Tampa Bay Lightning, the two times defending champions. This season the Boston Bruins are a well-deserved favorite, and the team has slashed its odds from +2200 odds in October to +450.
Various Colorado Avalanche players have suffered injuries, and in mid-season, they are tied for the eighth position in the Western Conference. Oddsmakers are still ranking them high in expectations of a solid second half.
The Colorado Hurricanes have really taken off with 15-0-1 in a 16-game stretch from late November through Jan. The Toronto Maple Leafs, New Jersey Devils, and Tampa Bay Lightning are also possible contenders.
With the launch of legal sportsbooks in some states, Michigan sports betting at Play Gun Lake Casino is in full swing. The sportsbook offers various types of bets on NHL – puck line, money line, totals (over/under), futures, parlay, and prop bets.
A Stanley Cup sleeper
When sports bettors crunch gambling numbers to place a winning bet, they always look at the odds. Sometimes a team with long odds can win. Bettors win more by betting on a team with long odds because it has less likelihood of winning. The Winnipeg Jets (+3000) have long odds, but the team has a great coach, a number one defenseman and an elite offense. The Jets also have the most home victories of any team in the West.
The schedule
NHL schedule 2023 gives details of all the games the 32 teams play. The first games of the 2022-2023 season were the New York Rangers playing Tampa Bay Lightning and Colorado Avalanche playing Chicago Blackhawks. Teams first play against the seven teams in their own division. After this, they play three games against the eight teams in the other division in their conference. This is followed by two games against the 16 teams from the other conference. The regular season finishes with 15 games in April.
