jili tutorial

Tampa, Colorado and Vegas top Stanley Cup odds

By jili tutorial · September 1, 2026

2021 NHL Season Nears Midpoint

With just over a month since the season began, the truncated, COVID-riddled campaign has seen some teams play as many as 20 of their 56 scheduled games, while others have had contests postponed and have played as few as 13. That uneven sample is still enough for pundits to identify favorites and for sportsbooks to set their lines.

Top Stanley Cup Contenders

At the top of the odds, we see a potential matchup between the Tampa Bay Lightning and either the Colorado Avalanche or the Vegas Golden Knights. Tampa looks like a favorite thanks to their +20 goal differential, though they don’t even lead the Discover Central Division — they trail both the Florida Panthers and the Carolina Hurricanes.

Meanwhile, Colorado and Vegas are battling for the top spot in the Honda West Division. The 2019 champion St. Louis Blues also remain in contention, sitting high in the standings even with an even goal differential.

Also prominent in the potential matchups are the Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, and league-leading Toronto Maple Leafs. Although Toronto boasts a better record than Tampa Bay, they’ve played four more games, have a worse goal differential, and likely face an easier schedule thanks to being in the Scotia North Division alongside the league’s worst team, the Ottawa Senators.

Unusual Playoff Format Due to Pandemic

Because of the pandemic, this year’s playoffs will look different. Each division will hold its own four-team playoff, with the final four teams then facing off based on their season standings. That could mean a classic Toronto or Montreal vs. Boston final — the first since the 1970s.

Unfortunately, this format means you can’t bet on a repeat of last year’s bubble finals between the Dallas Stars and the Tampa Bay Lightning. But if you think Dallas can make it back to the final, there are some enticing long odds: the Stars are +4500 to play either Vegas or Colorado.

Notable Long Shots and Sleeper Picks

If you’re asking me, though, keep an eye on Florida if they ever creep into the odds. The Panthers currently lead the Discover Central Division, beat Tampa twice in three tries this season, and yet Bodog didn’t see fit to list them for any potential matchups.

Here are the current 2021 Stanley Cup Exact Matchup odds from Bodog:

Colorado vs. Tampa Bay +1800
Vegas vs. Tampa Bay +1800
Colorado vs. Toronto +2000
Vegas vs. Toronto +2000
Colorado vs. Boston +2200
Vegas vs. Boston +2200
Tampa Bay vs. Toronto +2200
Tampa Bay vs. Boston +2200
Colorado vs. Montreal +2500
Vegas vs. Montreal +2500
Tampa Bay vs. Montreal +2500
Toronto vs. Boston +2500
Montreal vs. Boston +3300
Colorado vs. Carolina +3500
Colorado vs. Philadelphia +3500
Vegas vs. Carolina +3500
Vegas vs. Philadelphia +3500
St. Louis vs. Tampa Bay +3500
Tampa Bay vs. Philadelphia +3500
Colorado vs. Dallas +4500
Vegas vs. Dallas +4500
St. Louis vs. Toronto +4500
St. Louis vs. Boston +4500
Carolina vs. Toronto +4500
Carolina vs. Boston +4500
Toronto vs. Philadelphia +4500
Colorado vs. Washington +5000
Colorado vs. Pittsburgh +5000
Vegas vs. Washington +5000
Vegas vs. Pittsburgh +5000
Tampa Bay vs. Washington +5000
St. Louis vs. Montreal +5500
Tampa Bay vs. Pittsburgh +5500
Carolina vs. Montreal +5500
Dallas vs. Toronto +5500
Dallas vs. Boston +5500
Montreal vs. Philadelphia +5500
Colorado vs. Edmonton +6000
Vegas vs. Edmonton +6000
Toronto vs. Washington +6000
Toronto vs. Pittsburgh +6000
Colorado vs. Calgary +6500
Vegas vs. Calgary +6500
Tampa Bay vs. Edmonton +6500
Dallas vs. Montreal +6500
Tampa Bay vs. Calgary +7000
Montreal vs. Washington +7000
Montreal vs. Pittsburgh +7500
St. Louis vs. Carolina +8000
St. Louis vs. Philadelphia +8000
Carolina vs. Philadelphia +8000
Edmonton vs. Boston +8000
Calgary vs. Boston +8500
St. Louis vs. Dallas +9500
Dallas vs. Philadelphia +9500
St. Louis vs. Washington +10000
St. Louis vs. Pittsburgh +10000
Carolina vs. Washington +10000
Carolina vs. Pittsburgh +10000
St. Louis vs. Edmonton +12500
St. Louis vs. Calgary +12500
Carolina vs. Edmonton +12500
Carolina vs. Calgary +12500
Dallas vs. Washington +12500
Dallas vs. Pittsburgh +12500
Edmonton vs. Philadelphia +12500
Calgary vs. Philadelphia +12500
Dallas vs. Edmonton +15000
Dallas vs. Calgary +17500
Edmonton vs. Washington +17500
Edmonton vs. Pittsburgh +17500
Calgary vs. Washington +17500
Calgary vs. Pittsburgh +17500