Toronto Maple Leafs: Stanley Cup odds (Christmas edition)

With the Toronto Maple Leafs and the rest of the NHL enjoying their Christmas break, let’s take a look at the updated Stanley Cup odds.

When the 2018-19 NHL season got underway, the Toronto Maple Leafs were held in high regard. As per Stephen Campbell of Odds Shark, the Buds were made betting favourites to win the Stanley Cup.

Obviously this was a welcome piece of news, if somewhat surprising as well. While the addition of John Tavares was rightly lauded as a tremendous move in helping the Leafs contend, there were still questions marks about their ability to go all the way.

The Tampa Bay Lightening were slotted in as second-favourites, while the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals were ranked surprisingly low, at number eight. From a Canadian perspective, the Winnipeg Jets were placed fifth, while the Calgary Flames were number 10.

There’s obviously still a long way to go, with just over half of the regular season remaining. However, with the NHL currently enjoying their Christmas break, we thought it would be a good time to check back in on the latest Stanley Cup odds.

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As per Odds Shark, the Leafs still find themselves in a prominent position as second-favourites, behind the Lightening. This is reflected in the standings, with Tampa Bay and Toronto having the most points in the entire NHL (58 and 52 respectively, entering Thursday’s slate of games).

Continuing this theme, the Jets are third-favourites to go all the way. They currently find themselves at the top of the Western Conference standings, with the third-most points in the NHL (50).

From a Canada-wide perspective, the Flames are fourth-favourites and tied for the fourth-most points in the NHL. Rounding out the top five is the Nashville Predators.

So what does all this mean? It truth, it can mean everything or nothing, depending on how seriously you take the betting aspect of professional sports.

At the end of the day, betting is set up for the industry to win overall; and significantly. As such, the odds are really about putting themselves in the best possible position to make money.

With that said, the fact the Leafs are still perceived so favourably, is a good thing. No matter what the betting industry’s angle is, there is no getting around the fact Toronto has a damn good team.

It helps when you have a dynamic young core, which continues to develop and fulfill their potential. Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly are on course for their best seasons yet, while the play of the likes of Tavares, Auston Matthews and Frederik Andersen gives the team the confidence to face the (other) top teams in the league.

Of course, no matter how much regular season success the Leafs have, it is all about the playoffs. The previous two seasons, they have been knocked out in the first round.

Can the Leafs finally get past the opening round and put themselves in position to win their first Stanley Cup since 1967? We will have to wait and see, but at least we can say the assembled roster gives them an excellent chance.

What’s your take on the Toronto Maple Leafs’ latest Stanley Cup odds? Do you pay any attention to the odds in general, or take it all with a pinch of salt? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.