The job of predicting the outcome of the Stanley Cup playoffs is not one that I envy. Every year it seems we witness the unpredictable or the unexpected and as a result it makes prognosticating the outcome of what is arguably the toughest tournament to win in all of sports a near impossible task. In spite of that reality however each and every year oddsmakers do their best to predict the favorites to win it all and with the regular season all but wrapped up they have once again done so in an effort to paint as clear a picture as possible for those interested in seeing how the best minds in the business view this upcoming tournament.
Now that every team has locked in their spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs and now that we have a full picture of what will be the first round matchups, the oddsmakers over at Money Puck have released their updated odds for the 2021 playoffs and a new team has emerged as the favorite. Although the Colorado Avalanche had previously occupied the top spot on the list, the Toronto Maple Leafs have now taken the lead with the highest odds of capturing the Stanley Cup.
Here are how the top 5 shake out:
Toronto Maple Leafs - 18.%
Colorado Avalanche - 15.9%
Florida Panthers - 10.4%
Las Vegas Golden Knights - 9.5%
Washington Capitals - 9%
Now to be clear the guys and girls over at Money Puck don't actually believe the Maple Leafs are the best team in the tournament. In fact they went out of their way to clarify that their model still has the Avalanche favored as the better team, but clarified that these odds have come as a result of the path both teams are expected to have to the Stanley Cup Final. That is to say, the expectation here is that the Avalanche will have a much tougher road ahead of them through the tournament which has decreased their odds of winning it all, while the Maple Leafs will have an easier road giving them in theory a better chance of being crowned this season's champions.
Of course anything can happen in the playoffs, which is why we will all be watching closely as they get underway tonight with Game 1 between the Boston Bruins and the Washington Capitals kicking off this year's tournament.
For a full breakdown of the odds, check out the chart below.
