NHL Betting Odds: New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks Are 2015 Stanley Cup Favorites

The Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers will meet in a rematch of last year’s Stanley Cup Finals on Tuesday night. While the Kings are having trouble in their quest for another title, the Rangers have a good chance to have a 2015 playoff run that will surpass what they did a year ago.

New York is tied for the NHL lead with 99 points, and they are the favorites in the Eastern Conference. Their 13/2 championship betting odds are second to none, as they head towards a No.1 seed in the postseason. Even without starting goaltender Henrik Lundqvist since Feb. 2, the team has continued to play like the best team in hockey, suffering just three regulation losses in 23 contests without the three-time All-Star.

One of those defeats came at the hands of the Chicago Blackhawks, who are the favorites in the West, tying the Rangers with 13/2 odds. Chicago’s 94 points have them ranked third in the Central Division, but they are just three points out of first place with one game in hand. The Blackhawks have gone 7-1-1 in March, and they are hoping the injured Patrick Kane can return in late May if the team has yet to be eliminated from the playoffs.

Only five teams have better title odds than the defending champs, but the Kings might not even make the playoffs. Their 86 points have them in fourth place in the Pacific Division, two points behind the Calgary Flames for the final postseason spot in the West. L.A. has a difficult schedule to end the season, facing the Islanders, Wild and Blackhawks after Tuesday night's trip to Madison Square Garden in their next four games. All of those teams have at least 89 points on the season.

A number of teams are considered to have a legitimate chance of winning the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild and Montreal Canadiens are all tied for the third-best odds at 9/1.

The St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators, who rank second and third in the West standings, have 12/1 odds. While the two teams have been among the NHL’s best in the regular season, they haven’t had a ton of success in the playoffs. Nashville hasn’t reach the conference finals in their 17-year history, and St. Louis hasn’t been a series away from the Stanley Cup Finals since 2001.

The San Jose Sharks, Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche have been among the most disappointing teams this year. San Jose started the season tied for the fifth-best odds in the West, but they are likely to miss the playoffs. Dallas and Colorado have the worst odds of any team with a chance to make the postseason.

Below are the 2015 Stanley Cup betting odds with less than three weeks remaining in the regular season, courtesy of Bovada.lv.

Chicago Blackhawks 13/2

New York Rangers 13/2

Anaheim Ducks 9/1

Minnesota Wild 9/1

Montreal Canadiens 9/1

Nashville Predators 12/1

St. Louis Blues 12/1

Tampa Bay Lightning 12/1

Los Angeles Kings 14/1

New York Islanders 14/1

Detroit Red Wings 16/1

Pittsburgh Penguins 16/1

Boston Bruins 22/1

Washington Capitals 22/1

Ottawa Senators 28/1

Vancouver Canucks 33/1

Winnipeg Jets 33/1

Calgary Flames 40/1

Florida Panthers 200/1

San Jose Sharks 200/1

Colorado Avalanche 500/1

Dallas Stars 500/1