The odds for each NHL team’s Stanley Cup chances were released on Tuesday, and the Devils were last in the league.
200 to 1. Those are the odds the New Jersey Devils were given to win the Stanley Cup this season. Despite having a very good goaltender, an increasingly great top six and a history of winning, Vegas oddsmakers say every team either has better odds, or are equally as bad a bet as the Devils.
The odds for the Devils are four times worse than Buster Douglas got when he fought Mike Tyson. The Pittsburgh Pirates, who are right now three games under .500, have much better odds to win the World Series than the Devils have to win the Stanley Cup. Heck, Tiger Woods is 100/1 to win the next Masters, and he spent more time dealing with a DUI than he has on a professional golf course.
Westgate puts the Devils at the bottom of the league with the Detroit Red Wings, Vancouver Canucks, Arizona Coyotes and Vegas Golden Knights. Meanwhile, the Colorado Avalanche are sitting at 100 to 1, the Calgary Flames are at 30 to 1 and the Dallas Stars are at 14 to 1.
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Obviously, the Devils aren’t deserving of being even in the top half of the league odds, but tied for last? One would think the hype behind the young Devils would help avoid this fact. Unfortunately, it did not.
The Devils have a long way to go before they are true Stanley Cup contenders, but just look at last year. The Nashville Predators went into the playoffs as the last seed in the league, and immediately swept the Chicago Blackhawks. They went through the competition right to the Stanley Cup Finals. Hockey is a fickle beast and anything can happen once teams make the playoffs.
Place your bets now folks. A $10 bet can win you $2,000. A $100 bet can be life changing. The Devils are the best team on paper of the teams with the worst odds. They have the best chance at bounce back with Taylor Hall, Schneider and Nico Hischier able to carry this team. It’s probably a bet worth making.