Colorado Avalanche ‘favorite’ team to bet on for 2023 Stanley Cup

After beating the Lightning 2-1 in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final on Sunday night, the Avalanche won their third title in the team’s history.

Cale Makar, a defenseman for Colorado, won the Conn Smythe Trophy because he had the third-most points in the playoffs, 29. Only Connor McDavid (33) and Leon Draisaitl (32), two stars from Edmonton, had more points (32).

Makar won the Norris Trophy because he led the league’s best power-play unit for 20 games, scored eight goals, and had 21 assists.

Oddsmakers have a lot of faith in the Avalanche’s skills again after winning this championship. This past season, Colorado never moved from the top in the odds to win the Stanley Cup. They are already the favorite (+400) to win it again next season.

Makar, Nathan McKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog, and Valeri Nichushkin are all under 30. Nazem Kadri had a career season and contributed to the team’s postseason victory.

Runner-up Lightning is the third betting option at +900 odds. Ondrej Palat is a free agent for Tampa Bay. The great forward spent his 10-year NHL career with the organization that drafted him in the seventh round in 2011.

The Toronto Maple Leafs had +800 odds to win the Stanley Cup. Any team with Auston Matthews led the NHL with 60 goals offers good value. Single-digit odds seem low for a playoff-challenged squad.

The Hurricanes (+1400), Golden Knights (+1400), Flames (+1800), Oilers (+1800), and Wild (+1800) are all close behind the Panthers (+1000).

The New York Rangers (+2000) have key roster decisions concerning Ryan Strome, Andrew Copp, and Frankie Vatrano. If the Rangers can make solid acquisitions while keeping important players, bettors will get solid value on a team that reached the Eastern Conference Final.

Bettors need to pay attention to free agency this offseason because players like the Predators’ Filip Forsberg, Flames’ Johnny Gaudreau, Bruins’ Patrice Bergeron, and Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin could change the balance of power.

At +15000 odds, the Montreal Canadiens and the Arizona Coyotes have the worst chances of any team to win the Stanley Cup in 2023.