2023 NHL Stanley Cup Futures Odds, Picks and Predictions: WAY Too Stanley Cup Picks

The NHL season may have just concluded, but it’s never too early to find profitable future bets. The newly-crowned Stanley Cup champion Avalanche are big favorites at +450.

The Avalanche finished the playoffs with a record of 16-4, the best single-season playoff record since the 2012 Los Angeles Kings. Colorado’s dominance started from early on in the season. As last year’s favorite to win the Cup, the Avs started strong and never looked back. 

The Stanley Cup runners-up — and winners in 2020 and 2021 — Lightning have the third-highest odds to regain the NHL throne at +800. Tampa Bay’s defense was the talk of the playoffs, forcing even the most high-powered offenses to slow down.

The Lightning seem to be well-positioned to sustain success in 2023. Key players like Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov and Andrei Vasilevskiy are locked in for 2023 and beyond. Now that they’ve shown some weak spots, the Lightning must work this offseason to get faster and more explosive to compete with the Avalanche. 

The Maple Leafs follow the defending champs at +850 to win the Cup. After a promising regular season, the Leafs followed up with yet another disappointing postseason.

With young phenom Auston Mattews continuing to play at a high level, Toronto will always be in Cup contention. But, their focus this offseason must be on bolstering their shaky defensive rotation and more help for Matthews on the attack.

It appears that the Avalanche and the Lightning could be on another collision course for the Cup. But with now three straight deep postseason runs, could we see the Lightning fade away, leaving room for a new challenger to emerge out of the East?

2023 Stanley Cup Odds

The Safe Pick: Avalanche | +450 at BetMGM

The Avalanche being huge favorites this early in the postseason is almost unheard of. The favorable line is a testament to their dominance throughout the regular season and playoffs.

The Avalanche play their best as front runners, so the added pressure that comes with winning a Cup should not bother them.

The biggest question surrounding the Avs is their cap situation. They have a handful of core players who are scheduled for a big payday, including Nazem Kadri, Ryan Murray and Darcy Kuemper. If general manager Joe Sakic is able to re-sign or retool their free-agent talent, Colorado will be well situated to repeat as champs. 

The Longshot: Panthers | +1000 at BetMGM

The Panthers shocked a lot of the NHL world by winning the Presidents Cup in 2022. They won the most points in their franchise’s history and won their first playoff series since 1996.

Many people may write off their 2022 season as a fluke, but their experience and culture shift is something they can carry through to 2023.

In a wide-open Eastern Conference, I love the longshot odds of the Panthers. They’ve proven they can get hot — if they can sustain that momentum through the postseason, they’ll be a tough out for any team.

The Value Pick: Lightning | +900 at BetMGM

Despite the Stanley Cup Final loss, I believe oddsmakers are feeling a bit fatigued by the Lightning. With the loss, many are taking this as an opportunity to mark the end of Tampa’s potential dynasty.

However, with their advantageous cap situation and experienced young and veteran core, the Lightning are well-positioned to pick up a few key pieces needed to compete.

I like the value we’re getting on the Lightning. With a couple of solid offseason moves, that line could drop sharply, so I’ll be sure to lock in the preseason value early.

2023 Stanley Cup Champion Prediction: Avalanche | +450 at BetMGM

I’m riding with the favorites to win the 2023 Stanley Cup. The Avs have the talent and now the experience to continue their dominance, even if they can’t re-sign every unrestricted free agent.

With a core of Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, Colorado is deservedly the front-runner for the 2023 season.