After a grueling month and a half, the Stanley Cup Final is underway in Edmonton, with the Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning colliding for the right to hoist Lord Stanley’s holy grail.

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When it comes to betting odds for the Cup Final, the Lightning opened as the heavy -190 favorites at Bodog to win the championship, with the Stars coming back as +160 underdogs prior to Game 1 on September 19.

After the Stars won the opener 4-1, the shop adjusted the odds to -110 apiece. The Lightning struck back in Game 2, however, in the form of a 3-2 victory. After Tampa Bay’s win, the sportsbook shifted the Lightning to -190 chalk, with the Stars coming back as +165 underdogs.

New to betting on hockey? We have a great NHL betting tutorial to assist you in placing a wager. Also, be sure to check out our NHL odds page for the latest up-to-date betting lines.

Who is Favored To Win the Stanley Cup?

Odds to Win the 2019-20 Stanley Cup Team Odds Tampa Bay Lightning -190 Dallas Stars +165

Odds as of September 23 at Bodog

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Lightning Even Up the Series in Game 2

The Lightning seemed to catch the Stars sleeping out of the gate in Game 2, as Tampa Bay scored three first-period goals. The Stars didn’t fold, fighting back to make it a one-goal deficit.

Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy was the difference for Tampa Bay, as the Russian made 27 saves to secure the win for his team. A number of penalties in the second period gave Dallas plenty of chances. The Stars had an 18-5 shot advantage in the period, but Vasilevskiy stopped 17 of those shots.

Ahead of Game 3 on Wednesday, the Lightning opened as -160 favorites with a total of 5. For more betting information on the matchup, check out Matty Simo’s Game 3 preview.

Expect a High-Scoring Cup Final

The NHL started its Return to Play tournament with 24 teams, but we’re down to only two. The Stars are making their first Stanley Cup Final appearance in 20 years, while the Lightning were here five years ago.

Both teams possess potent offenses, but no team in the league scored more goals in the regular season than the Bolts (243). Tampa Bay has finished No. 1 in that department for three straight years. The Lightning started the series with 59 goals in 19 games for an average of 3.11 goals per game to rank No. 3 in the playoffs.

The Stars ranked 29th in the NHL in goals scored during the regular season, yet they’ve been a different team recently. Dallas has been lights-out offensively in the postseason, scoring 62 goals in 21 games prior to the final for an average of 2.95 per game, sixth among all playoff squads.

It’s a toss-up as to which club will score more goals in the final, but the return of Brayden Point could put the Lightning over the edge. Point missed time during the Eastern Conference final due to an injury but returned in Game 6 against the New York Islanders.

Steven Stamkos, who hasn’t played a game since undergoing core muscle surgery on March 2, is in the bubble with Tampa Bay but is a long shot to return in this series.

Stars, Lightning are Stellar Defensively

The Stars and Lightning were two of the best defensive teams in the NHL during the regular season. Dallas surrendered the fewest even-strength goals (126), while Tampa Bay allowed the fourth-fewest (143).

It’s going to be a fantastic battle between the pipes. Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy was 14-5 in the playoffs going into the series, with a 1.87 goals-against average, .930 save percentage and 8.06 goals saved above average, No. 2 among all playoff goalies.

Anton Khudobin has been otherworldly while filling in for the injured Ben Bishop. The Russian started the Cup Final with a 12-6 playoff record, 2.62 GAA, .920 SV% and a shutout.

Looking for the best sportsbooks to bet on hockey? Our Best NHL Sites Page will help you find the shop that’s right for you.

What is a Futures Bet on Stanley Cup Odds?

Before hockey season starts, oddsmakers will release their lines on each team’s chance of winning the shiny championship trophy. If you were to place a wager at any point before the Stanley Cup Final, you would be making a futures bet. This is a bet that deals with events that will happen in time. For instance, you could bet on the Detroit Red Wings to win the Cup in September, but you would not see the results of your bet until the postseason.

How to Read NHL Stanley Cup Odds

At your sportsbook of choice, you’ll see Stanley Cup odds listed like this:

Tampa Bay Lightning +300

Toronto Maple Leafs +450

Vegas Golden Knights +500

Boston Bruins +800

Unlike a moneyline bet where there is a clear favorite and underdog, for an NHL futures bet, you would consider the team with the lowest odds as the fave. In this case, it’s Tampa. The team with the highest odds would be the dog. For this example, it’s Boston.

Let’s say hockey season is about to start and you’ve done your research. You believe that it’s Toronto’s year, so you lay down $40 on the Leafs to win the Cup. If they do win it all, you’d see a payout of $220 – your original $40 is returned along with your winnings of $180.

You can use our Odds Calculator to figure out what you’d win based on the amount you bet and the odds.

When it comes to futures, get in on the action early. The closer it gets to the NHL playoffs, the more the odds will shift. Oddsmakers update the lines for these bets frequently as teams slip and fall in the standings. Injuries, trades and coaching changes will affect a team’s odds of making it to the Cup Final, and those who set the lines take that into consideration when updating the odds.

As mentioned above, it’s important to keep in mind that when you make your NHL futures picks, you won’t see a return until Lord Stanley’s Cup is awarded to the winner.