NHL 2018-19: Will The Caps Repeat? Leafs In Contention To Win Stanley Cup? A Look At Early Betting Odds

Will the Washington Capitals repeat? Can the Toronto Maple Leafs end their Stanley Cup drought? Are the Nashville Predators still the team to beat in the Western Conference?

Indeed, there are many questions leading up to the 2018-19 NHL season and Las Vegas oddsmakers can perhaps shed some light on possible outcomes.

After falling to the Caps in seven games in the Eastern Conference finals, the Tampa Bay Lightning have the best odds of winning the Stanley Cup at 8/1. Tampa Bay also has the best odds (4/1) of any team to reach the Stanley Cup.

However, the Lightning are followed close behind in the title odds by the Leafs (9/1). Toronto is long overdue for a deep run at the Stanley Cup. The last time the Leafs won a playoff series was 2004 and they haven't won a Stanley Cup since 1967. Toronto has 9/2 odds to reach the Stanley Cup.

The Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins share the third-best odds (13/2) to come out of the East.

Oddsmakers don't have a very optimistic outlook for the Caps. The defending champs are tied for the eighth-best odds to repeat at 14/1 odds and have the fifth-best odds to come out of the East.

The Nashville Predators and the Winnipeg Jets — two teams that shined brightly in the 2017-18 regular season — have the strongest odds (11/2) to advance out of the West. Nashville finished with the best record in hockey last season (117 points), while Winnipeg had the second-best record (114 points).

Last year's Cinderella team, the Vegas Golden Knights, share the third-best odds (6/1) with the San Jose Sharks to come out of the West. The Golden Knights and the Sharks also share the same odds (12/1) with the Predators and Penguins to win the Stanley Cup.

The Golden Knights are proof that oddsmakers can get it wrong. At the start of the season, sportsbooks listed Vegas as a 500-1 longshot to win the Stanley Cup. The Golden Knights reached Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

The 2018-19 regular season begins on Oct. 3.

Stanley Cup Betting Odds (Vegas Insider)

Tampa Bay Lightning 8/1

Toronto Maple Leafs 9/1

Winnipeg Jets 10/1

Nashville Predators 12/1

Pittsburgh Penguins 12/1

San Jose Sharks 12/1

Vegas Golden Knights 12/1

Boston Bruins 14/1

Washington Capitals 14/1

Columbus Blue Jackets 25/1

Edmonton Oilers 25/1

Philadelphia Flyers 25/1

St. Louis Blues 25/1

Los Angeles Kings2 8/1

Anaheim Ducks 33/1

Calgary Flames 33/1

Dallas Stars 33/1

Chicago Blackhawks 40/1

Colorado Avalanche 40/1

Florida Panthers 40/1

Minnesota Wild 40/1

New Jersey Devils 40/1

Buffalo Sabres 50/1

Arizona Coyotes 66/1

Carolina Hurricanes 66/1

New York Islanders 66/1

New York Rangers 66/1

Montreal Canadiens 75/1

Vancouver Canucks 75/1

Detroit Red Wings 100/1

Ottawa Senators 200/1

Eastern Conference Betting Odds (Vegas Insider)

Tampa Bay Lightning 4/1

Toronto Maple Leafs 9/2

Boston Bruins 13/2

Pittsburgh Penguins 13/2

Washington Capitals 7/1

Columbus Blue Jackets 12/1

Philadelphia Flyers 12/1

New Jersey Devils 20/1

Florida Panthers 22/1

Buffalo Sabres 28/1

New York Islanders 28/1

Carolina Hurricanes 33/1

New York Rangers 33/1

Montreal Canadiens 40/1

Detroit Red Wings 50/1

Ottawa Senators 100/1

Western Conference Betting Odds (Vegas Insider)

Nashville Predators 11/2

Winnipeg Jets 11/2

San Jose Sharks 6/1

Vegas Golden Knights 6/1

Edmonton Oilers 12/1

St Louis Blues 12/1

Anaheim Ducks 14/1

Los Angeles Kings 14/1

Calgary Flames 16/1

Chicago Blackhawks 18/1

Dallas Stars 18/1

Minnesota Wild 18/1

Colorado Avalanche 22/1

Arizona Coyotes 28/1

Vancouver Canucks 40/1