Panthers Cup Favorites Ahead of Conference Semis
Meanwhile, Rangers Face Longest 2024 NHL Title Odds
The chase for the NHL Stanley Cup is down to four teams. The New York Rangers and Florida Panthers will square off in the Eastern Conference finals, with the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers the last ones standing in the West.
Florida may be the Cup favorite, but each of the remaining semifinalists has reasonable NHL odds to win it all.
Ahead of the conference semifinals, here’s a look at the 2024 NHL title odds.
Stanley Cup Odds
Florida Panthers: +215
The Florida Panthers have climbed to +215 to win the Stanley Cup, establishing themselves as the 2024 NHL title odds favorites ahead of the conference semifinals. They seek to return to the Cup after losing in five games to Vegas last NHL season.
Florida has been tough away from home, sporting the Eastern Conference’s best road record at 30-12-4. That includes a 4-1 mark in the postseason.
The Panthers will face a formidable test in Igor Shesterkin, whose .923 save percentage through 10 playoff games is on par with his career mark of .927.
But they should be confident knowing they’ve already beaten him once this season. They scored 11 goals in three regular-season matchups, one of which was started by backup Jonathan Quick.
Florida has arguably the conference’s deepest roster. Fourteen different Panthers have scored in the playoffs. This includes dynamic scorer Sam Reinhart (57 goals), Selke Trophy winner Aleksander Barkov, and two-time Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. Matthew Tkachuk is the team’s leading scorer this postseason with 14 points in 11 games (4 goals, 10 assists).
Dallas Stars: +260
The Dallas Stars led the Western Conference with 113 points. Their 26 road wins matched Florida for most in the NHL. Dallas has already knocked off each of the last two Stanley Cup champions, beating Vegas in seven games and Colorado in six.
The Stars last reached the Cup during the COVID-interrupted 2020 season, with their most recent championship coming in 1999.
Dallas has been far from profitable for bettors, as evidenced by their 35-47 record against the puck line during the regular season. Per NHL scores, only the Devils (30-51) and Maple Leafs (32-48) fared worse.
Despite that, they’re worthy contenders. The Stars have a pair of dynamic scorers in Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston and an elite goaltender in Jake Oettinger, who ranks fifth this postseason with a 2.09 goals-against average.
The Stars’ power play is converting at a 29% clip, so it’ll be important for Edmonton to stay out of the penalty box.
Edmonton Oilers: +280
Despite a brutal 3-9-1 start, Edmonton (104 points) surpassed 100 points for the third straight season. The Oilers outlasted Vancouver in seven games to advance.
Edmonton boasts the NHL’s most dynamic offense, averaging 3.83 goals per game this postseason. The playoff’s top scorers are all Oilers: Leon Draisaitl (24 points), Connor McDavid (21), Evan Bouchard (20) and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (16). They also rank first in power play (37.5%).
The Oilers’ bugaboo remains goaltending. They shuffled between Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard against Vancouver. Skinner will presumably get first dibs versus Dallas, though the situation remains tenuous at best.
No Canadian hockey team has won a Stanley Cup since 1993, so they’ll need to overcome history to get the job done.
New York Rangers: +400
Despite winning the President’s Trophy with 114 points, the Rangers face the longest 2024 NHL title odds of the four remaining teams. The Rangers have no problem being counted out. They were plus-money underdogs last round against Carolina and have +130 odds to beat Florida.
The Rangers have a bevy of opportunistic scorers, led by Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, and Chris Kreider, who netted a hat trick during the third period of the Game 6 clincher against Carolina. Kreider now has a team-high seven goals in 10 postseason NHL games.
New York’s power play has been on point. It’s scored on 31.4% of its chances this postseason, best in the Eastern Conference. It was 3 for 9 against Florida during the regular season.
The Rangers’ biggest edge is net. Shesterkin was vastly superior to Carolina’s duo of Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov last round. He is 8-2 with a 2.40 GAA this postseason.
For NHL conference news, betting analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
