2019-20 NHL Eastern Conference Winner Betting Odds and Preview

The 2018-19 NHL season is officially in the record books after the St. Louis Blues won their first ever Stanley Cup at the expense of the Boston Bruins after an exciting seven-game series. But just when you thought that we would be taking a break, the odds for next season are already out.

For this preview, we will take a look at the NHL’s Eastern Conference and see which teams are going to come out on top during the 2019-20 season.

Here are the latest odds to win the 2019-20 NHL Eastern Conference title. Odds were taken from Bet365 as of 6/27/19:

Who Are The Favorites?

The Tampa Bay Lightning are coming off a record-breaking season where they won 128 regular season games. The Lightning was the top scoring team in the league and had a Top 10 defense. However, we were pretty much shocked when they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs after getting swept by the Columbus Blue Jackets. With most of their pieces returning to Tampa Bay this coming season, this team has the potential to be even better than they were last season given the added experience and lessons learned.

Everyone thought that the Boston Bruins would win the Stanley Cup title when the Finals started. The Bruins looked like the best team in the 2019 NHL Playoffs and goalkeeper Tuukka Rask was playing incredibly well. But the St. Louis Blues won Game 7 and took home their first Stanley Cup and the Bruins were left asking why. The Bruins are probably the most consistent NHL team in the last decade and they have an explosive offensive line. Add their big-bodied defensemen and you have a team that could go deep in the postseason.

Like the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Toronto Maple Leafs were also ousted in the first round of the 2019 NHL Playoffs. The Maple Leafs played like they were the best team in the NHL during the first part of the 2018 season but they faded and declined towards the end of the regular season and playoffs. If Toronto wants to run it back, they need to lock up Mitch Marner and pick up a couple of key players this offseason to fortify their line-up.

The Pittsburgh Penguins needed to clear up salary cap space to re-sign team captain and superstar Sydney Crosby. They achieved a big chunk of that by trading Jordan Staal for a first-round draft pick and two players. That pick gave the Penguins a total of 9 picks in the 2019 NHL draft and they picked evenly, choosing four forwards, three defensemen and two goaltenders. GM Jim Rutheford said that he wants to make trades to reinvigorate his team. He’s already made one and next year’s success will depend on how that and the other possible trades would pay off.

The Washington Capitals’ bid to repeat as NHL champions vanished in thin air after they dropped a 3-4 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 7 of their 2018 NHL first-round playoff series. Team manager Brian MacLellan admitted that his team lacked the effort, commitment, and desperation which his the team showed during their 2017 title run. Their core of Ovechkin,  Backstrom, forward T.J. Oshie, defenseman John Carlson, and goalie Braden Holtby will be back for at least one season. The Washington Capitals didn’t have any problem making the playoffs. They had plenty of problems staying alive in the postseason.

Who Wins?

The hockey betting gods are saying that the Tampa Bay Lightning are the favorites to win the NHL Eastern Conference next season The Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to be their chief rivals. The way I see it, these are the three teams that are going to be serious contenders to win the Eastern Conference next season.

I’m not into the Maple Leafs though, at least not until the Mitch Marner issue has been settled. Tampa Bay and Boston should be the last two teams standings during the Eastern Conference Finals. Unless either team makes a significant addition in free agency, we’ll be seeing much of what we saw last season.

The Lightning won their season series 3-1, winning the final two meetings between the two teams during the 2018-19 season. Of course, the Lightning was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs so these teams didn’t meet in the postseason. I think it will be difficult for Tamp Bay to replicate their 128-win season. But as far as winning the East, I think they have what it takes to do that and more. Prediction: Tampa Bay Lightning

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