Updated 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Odds (April 18th)

Will Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins win back-to-back Stanley Cup titles? Can Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals stop underachieving at the worst time possible? Can Connor McDavid and the upstart Edmonton Oilers upset the entire apple cart to win this year’s Stanley Cup hardware long before they were expected to really contend?With the 2017 NHL postseason moving closer toward its second round and some first round surprises taking place, now is the perfect time for an update on the latest NHL betting odds to win the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup trophy. Let’s get started.

In Depth Analysis On The Updated 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Odds (April 18th)

  

The Favorite

Pittsburgh Penguins 7/2The Pittsburgh Penguins have jumped all over Columbus in their first round series by outscoring the Blue Jackets 12-6 to take a commanding 3-0 series lead. More importantly for the Penguins, it hasn’t been all Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin getting it done at the offensive end of the ice. 22-year-old, 5-10 forward Jake Guentzel scored a hat trick in Game 3 while Bryan Rust lit the lamp twice in Game 3 to give him a jaw-dropping seven goals in his last 11 playoff games and five goals in his last eight games overall. Even as a 7/2 prohibitive favorite, the Penguins clearly have value.

The Smart Pick

Washington Capitals 4/1The favored Capitals trail the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 heading into Wednesday night’s huge Game 4 road date, but I still love the value that Washington is offering as the best team in the Eastern Conference during the regular season. I know the Caps have had repeated postseason failures, including last season when they came up short against the eventual champion Penguins, but make no mistake about it, the Caps have everything it takes from great scoring to outstanding goaltending, to become Stanley Cup champions this season. Still, since joining the Capitals in 2005-06, Alex Ovechkin has not been beyond the second round of the playoffs.

The Value Pick

Edmonton Oilers 10/1Edmonton is up 2-1 on the San Jose Sharks heading into tonight’s Game 4 road matchup, but that’s not the most impressive thing about their opening round performance. You see, the Oilers have pitched consecutive shutouts in winning Games 2 and 3 by a combined score of 3-0 and limited the Sharks to just 39 combined shots over the two-game stretch. Oh, did I forget to mention that gifted Oilers center Connor McDavid is the best scorer in the game today? I like Edmonton’s value as a 10/1 pick, even though the Oilers are clearly not favorites.

The Longshot

Nashville Predators 10/1The Predators are clearly offering a ton of value as a 10/1 pick, seeing as how they are up on the now-reeling Chicago Blackhawks 3-0 following Monday night’s thrilling 3-2 overtime home win. Maybe it’s me, but right now, I believe the Predators have the look of a team that could beat anyone after witnessing their stunning 5-0 shutout win over Chicago in Game 2 on Saturday. Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne has been a virtual stone wall in the series and the Predators went 24-9-6 at home during the regular season.