- The Edmonton Oilers have surged to the top of the 2024 Stanley Cup odds at online betting sites.
- The Oilers fired head coach Jay Woodcroft after a 3-9-1 start to the season.
- Connor McDavid’s Art Ross Trophy odds have skyrocketed over the last two weeks.
After remaining deadlocked with the Colorado Avalanche, the Edmonton Oilers are now alone atop the 2024 Stanley Cup odds at online betting sites. According to Bovada, the Oilers are +700 favorites to win the Stanley Cup Final in June. The Oilers have an implied probability of 12.5 percent to win the 2024 Stanley Cup.
Following an unexpectedly slow start to the season, the Oilers are back where pre-season projections had them. At +900, the Oilers opened as co-favorites with the Avalanche to win the Stanley Cup in 2024.
However, after a 3-9-1 start and confidence fading, the Oilers’ Stanley Cup odds dropped to +1800. In November, the Oilers had the tenth-worst odds to win. The discouraging effort from a lineup, that includes Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, subsequently led to head coach Jay Woodcroft’s dismissal.
With Kris Knoblauch behind the bench, the Oilers have gone 28-9-0 in the regular season. Overall, the Oilers are 31-8-1 and have 63 points in the Pacific Division. Despite the best odds to win the Stanley Cup, the Oilers do not have the best record.
Disparity Between Oilers’ Stanley Cup Odds and Standings
The 2023-24 NHL standings and Stanley Cup odds bear no resemblance. Currently, the Oilers’ 63 points have them in third place in the Pacific Division. The Vegas Golden Knights and Vancouver Canucks have a five-point and 17-point advantage over the Oilers.
In the Western Conference, the Winnipeg Jets, Colorado Avalanche, and Dallas Stars are also ahead of the Oilers. Nevertheless, the Oilers have shorter Stanley Cup odds than all of them. Currently, at +850, the Boston Bruins have the second-best odds to win the Cup.
The Avalanche (+900) and Canucks (+950) are the closest teams to the Oilers in the Western Conference. In other words, there is an atypical disparity between the standings and Stanley Cup odds. It’s quite unusual for such a difference, but the Oilers’ turnaround and monster winning streak made an impact in the NHL betting markets.
From December 21, 2023, to January 27, the Oilers won 16 straight games. The streak fell one game short of tying the 1992-1993 Pittsburgh Penguins’ NHL record of 17 consecutive victories. On February 6, the Golden Knights upended the Oilers for a 3-1 win at T-Mobile Arena.
The Oilers have a record of 2-3-0 since the Golden Knights snapped the streak. In their latest attempt, the St. Louis Blues ousted the Oilers for a 6-3 win at the Enterprise Center. The win was the Blues’ eighth in their last 10 showings.
Connor McDavid’s Art Ross Trophy Odds Skyrocket
The Art Ross Trophy is awarded annually to the player who accumulated the most points in the regular season. Following a six-point performance against the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday, Connor McDavid’s Art Ross Trophy odds jumped considerably.
The 27-year-old center was +3500 to win the Art Ross Trophy entering February. With an implied probability of just 2.8 percent, things appeared rather bleak for McDavid. However, since February 6, McDavid has notched 13 points in five games.
Capped off by the six-point showing against the Red Wings, and another three points against the Blues, McDavid is now +225 to lead the league in points. That said, McDavid still has plenty of work to do to catch the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov.
Tampa’s star forward has collected 36 goals, 57 assists, and a total of 93 points. Conversely, McDavid is up to 21 goals, 59 assists, and 80 points. McDavid’s +/- of 20 easily eclipses Kucherov’s six.
Additionally, the Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon has posted 89 points for an eight-point advantage over McDavid. Currently, according to BetOnline, MacKinnon is the favorite to win the Hart Memorial Trophy at +125 odds. McDavid lags behind with the third-best odds at +275.
