2024 NHL Stanley Cup odds: Panthers favored; McDavid has best odds for Smythe
The 2024 Stanley Cup Final is arguably a battle between the best team in the sport against the best player in the sport — and the odds reflect that.
Ahead of the seven-game series between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers, the Eastern Conference champions are slight favorites to hoist Lord Stanley at -130.
However, as the Oilers have +110 odds to win the Cup, their top player holds the best odds to win the Conn Smythe Trophy, which is given to the Most Valuable Player of the playoffs. Connor McDavid has +200 odds to win the award entering the series.
McDavid has put up a performance worthy of the Conn Smythe so far this postseason, as he’s in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in his nine-year career. He leads all players with 31 points this postseason, scoring five goals and tallying the most assists (26).
McDavid’s 31 points are 12 more than anyone on the Panthers has registered so far this postseason.
If you are thinking of betting on McDavid to win the Conn Smythe but believe Florida will win the series, there is some precedent that both things can happen. There have been five occasions where a player on the losing team in the Stanley Cup Final has won the Conn Smythe Trophy, although the last time it happened was in 2003.
In addition, only one of those five players was not a goalie.
Let’s dive into the latest NHL title and Conn Smythe odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of June 6.
2023-24 STANLEY CUP ODDS:
Florida Panthers -135 (bet $10 to win $17.41 total)
Edmonton Oilers +115 (bet $10 to win $21.50 total)
2023-24 CONN SMYTHE TROPHY ODDS:
Connor McDavid +190 (bet $10 to win $29 total)
Aleksander Barkov +400 (bet $10 to win $50 total)
Sergei Bobrovsky +450 (bet $10 to win $55 total)
Matthew Tkachuk +550 (bet $10 to win $65 total)
Leon Draisaitl +950 (bet $10 to win $105 total)
Evan Bouchard +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)
Carter Verhaeghe +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)
After both teams won their first-round series in five games, both the Panthers and Oilers faced tougher challenges in the last two rounds. The Panthers needed six games to beat the Boston Bruins in Round 2 before beating the New York Rangers in six games in the Eastern Conference finals.
Meanwhile, the Oilers needed seven games to beat the Vancouver Canucks in Round 2 before beating the Dallas Stars in six games in the West final.
The Panthers swept the season series against the Oilers, winning 5-3 on Nov. 20 and 5-1 on the Dec. 16.
As for Conn Smythe odds, Tkachuk leads the Panthers in points this postseason with 19. But Barkov and Verhaeghe aren’t too far behind with 17 points each.
Verhaeghe also leads the Panthers in goals this postseason with nine.
Bobrovsky has also been strong in net for Florida. He’s allowed two or fewer goals in 10 of the Panthers’ last 11 games.
For the Oilers, Draisatil holds the second-best odds to win the award after McDavid. He’s second on the team in points this postseason (28), scoring 10 goals en route to Edmonton’s trip to the Stanley Cup Final.
So who are you throwing some money on to win it all? Stay tuned to FOX Sports for all the updates on the shifting odds in the NHL.
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