The Golden Knights delivered the city of Las Vegas its first-ever professional sports championship, thrashing Florida in five games. Are they worth betting to win the 2024 Stanley Cup? We’re contemplating betting futures in this article and then dropping our free predictions!
Before we get to that though, let’s look at the 2024 Stanley Cup odds. These became available at the top betting sites for NHL as soon as Vegas closed out the 2023 title. As it stands, here are the teams most favored to win next season:
| Team |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Bruins | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| Colorado Avalanche | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| Edmonton Oilers | +900 | +900 | +900 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| New York Rangers | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Florida Panthers | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| New Jersey Devils | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
Betting Picks For 2024 Stanley Cup Title
Let’s get one thing clear: you should be making light bets on the 2024 Stanley Cup at this point. Absolutely zero reason to bet big for two reasons. One, teams will undergo big changes in the next few months due to roster moves. Two, there’s no reason to tie up your money for an entire year waiting to cash this when there are so many other betting opportunities in the world of sports.
Treat this as light speculation, which admittedly it is. That’s why the betting odds are so high across the board because it’s unpredictable only days after the season ended. But if you’re going to throw a few dollars into it, consider the following teams first:
Vegas Golden Knights
The reigning champs are getting little love from oddsmakers. We mean, +1400 odds? For a team that was the one seed in the Western Conference and was not pushed all that hard in the postseason? The betting value alone is worth putting money on the Golden Knights because this is a tad disrespectful.
There’s no fluke in this title. Coming out of the All-Star break, Vegas had the best record so it’s not like they “got hot at the right time.” This brand of play was unbeatable for multiple months. Most of the key pieces on the roster remain under contract next season too.
Perhaps the only major moving piece will be at goalkeeper. The Knights sustained injury after injury at the position this year, which makes this title even less fluky. The original starter Robin Lehner missed the whole season with an injury but might be back in the fold for 2024. Adin Hill started most of the playoffs but is a free agent now. But hey, if there’s one thing Vegas proved this season is that it IS possible to win without an elite-level goaltender. They should be fine regardless of what they decide, hence why we’re making this bet.
Edmonton Oilers
The best bet to thwart Vegas’ back-to-back hopes out West could be Edmonton. The Oilers pushed the Golden Knights the most in the playoffs during the second round before falling in six games. Having the two best forwards in the league, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisait, always makes them a contender. But is there something that could get them over the hump?
Desperation might be it. You see, the 2023-24 campaign will be Draisaitl’s second to last in a team-friendly deal. Edmonton will have to big pay to keep him after 2025. Now could be the time for them to get aggressive in the offseason and go into full-on “win now” mode. That possibility makes them worthy betting plays.
Fixing Edmonton’s goaltender situation would be our top priority. It’s been the franchise’s big bugaboo for years now, and cost them against this past postseason. Starter Stuart Skinner had a meandering 3.68 goals against average in the playoffs. If the Oilers can mend the situation, they’ll be hard to beat given the two-headed monster of Draisaitl and McDavid.
Boston Bruins
The Bruins are the odds-on favorites to take the next year’s Cup and we can see why. Yes, they did blow a 3-1 series lead in the first round of the playoffs but outside a one-week stretch of bad play, no one was better than Boston last season. They finished with a record-setting 65 wins and 135 points, and most of that team should be back for vengeance.
But there’s recent history to suggest first-round heartbreak eventually becomes championship fuel. Who remembers the 2019 Lightning, who tied the then-record for 62 wins? They were swept in round one that year but followed up with two straight Stanley Cup wins. A third title was thwarted by the Avalanche in 2022. But Colorado too bowed out of the 2021 first round despite winning the President’s Trophy. We could very well see the Bruins continuing that trend next season.
How To Bet On NHL 2024 Futures?
The NHL Draft is next week, but after that, the betting opportunities dry up until the season starts back up in October. However, NHL futures betting will be on the table — not only on who wins the Stanley Cup but also on the conference championships.
To chase these NHL futures bets, hit one of the bookmakers listed in the table. All five listed are rated highly in our latest sportsbook reviews. Moreover, each also offers lucrative sign-up bonuses to new players. Through these free-play bonuses, bettors could bet on NHL on the bookies' own dime so they’re worth it!
