NHL Playoffs 2017: First-Round Series, Stanley Cup Betting Odds Have Blackhawks, Capitals Favored

Ryan Hartman Chicago Blackhawks — The Chicago Blackhawks have the best Stanley Cup odds of any team in the NHL. Pictured: Ryan Hartman looks on during the first period of a game against the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center on April 8, 2017 in Los Angeles. Getty Images

Heading into the 2017 NHL playoffs, two teams stand out as the clear favorites to meet in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Chicago Blackhawks and Washington Capitals have the best championship betting odds in their respective conferences.

Chicago is the Stanley Cup favorite, having led the Western Conference with 109 points. The team has won three titles since 2010, and they’ll take on the Nashville Predators in their first-round series.

Washington was clearly the best hockey team in the regular season, tallying 118 points and winning the Metropolitan Division. The Capitals, however, will have to overcome a history of postseason failures. The team has never won a Stanley Cup, and they haven’t even reached the conference finals since 1998, despite winning seven division titles in the last decade.

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Minnesota Wild are the only two other teams with better than 10/1 odds to win the Stanley Cup. The Montreal Canadiens have exactly 10/1 odds.

The St. Louis Blues have the worst odds of any playoff team to win the championship.

Below are the complete Stanley Cup odds, via Bovada.lv, and the betting odds for each NHL first-round series, via Bet Online.

First-Round Odds

New York Rangers (+120) vs. Montreal Canadiens (-140)

Boston Bruins (-177) vs. Ottawa Senators (+155)

Columbus Blue Jackets (+155) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (-175)

St. Louis Blues (+130) vs. Minnesota Wild (-150)

San Jose Sharks (+115) vs. Edmonton Oilers (-135)

Toronto Maple Leafs (+315) vs. Washington Capitals (-375)

Nashville Predators (+165) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (-190)

Calgary Flames (+145) vs. Anaheim Ducks (-165)

Stanley Cup Odds