Whose the best team in the East?
The Stanley Cup champion this year looks like it could very well come out of the Eastern Conference. The Pittsburgh Penguins, the Washington Capitals, and the New Jersey Devils all appear to be better teams than their counterparts in the Western Conference.
While there is hardly anything between the three teams the New Jersey Devils look like the best bet in the futures market for the Stanley Cup for four reasons.
Firstly, the Devils appear to have an ever so slight advantage in gaining the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Yes, they are a point behind Washington and yes the Devils are tied with Pittsburgh, but New Jersey does have a couple extra games remaining in their schedule. That advantage is small with so many games remaining in the season, but it is there for sure.
Secondly, and more importantly, the Devils have the best goals for to goals against ratio in the Eastern Conference. When teams are logged jammed in the standings you need to look at stats to try to get some insight into who is more likely to surpass who. The Devils have scored 93 goals and, thanks to Martin Brodeur, they have only given up 69. That ratio (31:23 in lowest terms) is better than than either Pittburgh’s or Washington’s and it suggests that in the long run New Jersey will produce more wins.
Thirdly, you want to pick New Jersey to win the Stanley Cup because of they have Martin Brodeur. He’s now being recognized as the greatest goaltender ever and the Stanley Cup Playoffs usually belong to teams that have a shut-the-door goaltender. New Jersey have that – Pittsburgh and Washington, not so much.
Lastly, you have to bet New Jersey because of how long their odds are to win the Stanley Cup. They are still well below the radar even as we approach the midway point of the season. The Devils have a price of +1600 (16/1) to win the Stanley Cup with Sky Bet and we recommend that price.
Laughably, New Jersey’s price is comparable to Detroit’s (+1600; Paddy Power) while it is longer than Calgary’s (+1500; bet365), Chicago’s, and San Jose’s (+700, bet365).
Go to Sky Bet to bet on NHL hockey futures.
