St. Louis moves into top 5 in Stanley Cup odds
St. Louis Blues leftwing David Perron reacts after assisting on a goal. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire)
December 20th, 2019
The Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues are two of the hotter teams in the NHL at the moment, but should bettors be buying into them? We profile both clubs here looking for a potential play.
Odds to win the Stanley Cup
| Team | 2020 Stanley Cup Odds |
|---|
Boston Bruins | +850 |
Washington Capitals | +900 |
Colorado Avalanche | +1000 |
Tampa Bay Lightning | +1000 |
St. Louis Blues | +1100 |
New York Islanders | +1400 |
Vegas Golden Knights | +1500 |
Dallas Stars | +1600 |
Toronto Maple Leafs | +1600 |
Pittsburgh Penguins | +1600 |
Pittsburgh has been rolling despite Crosby's absence
The Penguins are sitting at +1600 after being listed at +2200 on November 1. They’ve won three in a row and six of their last seven, which includes Tuesday night’s 4-1 victory over the previously red-hot Calgary Flames. Shockingly, all of this has been accomplished with Sidney Crosby (groin) on the shelf since November 9.Sidney Crosby has skated for the past six days. We still do not have a timetable for his return.
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) December 16, 2019
Coach Sullivan: "He's making progress in his rehab process. We're encouraged by where he's at. As he gets closer, we'll update you." pic.twitter.com/a8E8EfLB5w
"Sid The Kid" has been seen skating with the club in recent days but there’s no set date for his return. Forwards Jake Guentzel (seven games played) and Evgeni Malkin (five games played) have combined for 16 points in December, helping to pick up some of the slack. Right winger Bryan Rust has four goals and two assists in his last three games alone. Pittsburgh has gotten some terrific goaltending from Tristan Jarry (1.85 GAA, .940 save percentage) too.
The Penguins play the slumping Edmonton Oilers and mediocre Vancouver Canucks before the Christmas break begins. It will be a span of seven games before Pittsburgh faces a team that’s currently first or second in their division (Montreal Canadiens on January 4). If Crosby returns and the Pens keep racking up wins over inferior teams, bettors can be sure that those +1600 odds will disappear in a hurry.
The Penguins play the slumping Edmonton Oilers and mediocre Vancouver Canucks before the Christmas break begins. It will be a span of seven games before Pittsburgh faces a team that’s currently first or second in their division (Montreal Canadiens on January 4). If Crosby returns and the Pens keep racking up wins over inferior teams, bettors can be sure that those +1600 odds will disappear in a hurry.
St. Louis will be tested on the road
The Blues’ current +1100 odds are only slightly lower than their +1400 odds from November 1, but they’ve won four in a row to help keep the Colorado Avalanche in their rearview mirror in the Central Division. Forwards David Perron, Ryan O’Reilly, Oskar Sundqvist and Robert Thomas have combined for 17 points over their last four tilts.However, all of those victories were earned at the Enterprise Center. St. Louis will be on the road in six of their next seven games, facing tough teams including the Winnipeg Jets, Arizona Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights. The Blues own a respectable 10-4-3 road record this season, but they can’t afford to slip up on this upcoming trek. Bettors would be wise to wait before they wager on the defending champs.
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