The Edmonton Oilers are Stanley Cup contenders!
That’s not coming from us, mind you, but a bunch of bettors clearly feel that way. Since the start of the NHL regular season, online bookmaker Bovada has dropped its Stanley Cup odds on the Oilers from 33/1 all the way to 10/1.
At 10/1, it puts the Oilers (7-2-0) just a tick below the favored Pittsburgh Penguins (9/1). It also means that Connor McDavid and company have the same Stanley Cup odds as the Chicago Blackhawks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals, and Montreal Canadiens, the latter of whom were at 25/1 prior to going 8-0-1 in their first nine games.
The excitement surrounding the Oilers is understandable, and it’s likely some (or many) of their long-suffering fans have been betting more with their hearts than their heads. After all, Cam Talbot’s save percentage is unlikely to remain .936 all season long, and Edmonton’s defense, though improved by the addition of Adam Larsson, remains a work in progress. The team is improving, though, there’s no question about that. And with a player like McDavid, anything can seem possible.
Following is the full list of odds. Numbers in blue means the odds have grown shorter since the start of the season; in red, they’re longer.