"Top Contenders for Stanley Cup, Avs Begin Playoffs as Florida Teams Struggle"
Colorado was tied for seventh in the NHL with 102 points during the regular season, but they are now the favorites to win the 2025 Stanley Cup.
As they prepare to host Game 1 of their first-round series against the Dallas Stars, who finished with 106 points, Colorado is being offered as the +750 Cup favorite by DraftKings and +700 by BetMGM.
The Stars will be without their top goal-scorer Jason Robertson due to a lower-body injury, and they have also been missing top defenseman Miro Heiskanen. They enter the playoffs with a record of 0-5-2 in their last seven games.
On the other hand, Colorado has been gaining momentum since mid-February after making changes to their roster throughout the season. This has led to them being the most popular pick to win the Cup, with the most total wagers (10.6 percent) and money (11.0) at BetMGM.
However, Colorado is not one of the top three Cup liabilities for the book. St. Louis, Montreal, and Dallas hold that title, with the Blues (+4000) and Canadiens (+8000) being the biggest longshots remaining.
BetMGM is currently rooting for the two Florida teams, as the defending champion Panthers have drawn 6.3 percent of the money at +750, and the Tampa Bay Lightning have been backed by just 2.8 percent of the money while moving from +2000 to +1100. Both teams finished with 102 points during the regular season.
According to BetMGM senior trader Matthew Rasp, \"The Panthers and Lightning are among the favorites to win the Stanley Cup but the public is ignoring them. BetMGM really wants the Stanley Cup to stay in Florida.\"
Winnipeg, who topped the league with 116 points and an NHL-best 56 wins, opens the postseason at +1000 at both BetMGM and DraftKings. This puts them at the eighth-shortest Cup odds and tied for the sixth-shortest odds at the latter.
