Mike Babcock will return to the Motor City on Friday as he leads his Toronto Maple Leafs against the Detroit Red Wings as +175 moneyline underdogs at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Babcock’s debut as the Leafs’ bench boss on Wednesday was spoiled by a 3-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. However, expectations are tempered in Leafland this season, with the team pegged at 33/1 to win the Atlantic Division and 100/1 on the odds to win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1967.
Detroit kicks off the new NHL campaign after exceeding expectations a year ago, finishing third in the Atlantic Division with 100 points before falling in the first round of the playoffs to the Tampa Bay Lightning in a hard-fought seven-game series.
Led by rookie head coach Jeff Blashill, Detroit enters Friday’s Leafs vs. Red Wings betting matchup as a strong 6/1 bet to finish atop the Atlantic, and joins the Columbus Blue Jackets and Boston Bruins in the middle of the pack with 25/1 Stanley Cup odds.
While the Red Wings travel to Carolina on Saturday to take on the Hurricanes, the Leafs revive the Battle of Ontario as they return home to face the Ottawa Senators.
Ottawa took just two of five games from their provincial rivals last year, but still managed to finish with 99 points and claim an Eastern Conference playoff spot. Heading into the NHL season’s opening weekend, the Senators are at 8/1 on the Atlantic Division futures, but trail the Stanley Cup favourites at 40/1 odds.
Despite dropping their home opener to the New York Rangers by a 3-2 margin, the Chicago Blackhawks continue to lead the way in Stanley Cup betting at 13/2. Last season’s Eastern Conference champs, the Tampa Bay Lightning, closely trail the Blackhawks at 9/1, and are a solid 4/1 wager to return to the Stanley Cup final in June.
The Lightning are deadlocked with the Anaheim Ducks, who came within a Game 7 win of knocking off Chicago in last season’s Western Conference final. The Los Angeles Kings missed the postseason last year but return to action sporting 11/1 odds for this year, followed by the Rangers and the Pittsburgh Penguins, who each sit at 12/1.
The Canadiens lead all Canadian-based NHL teams with 18/1 Stanley Cup odds, followed by the Winnipeg Jets and the Calgary Flames at 28/1, the Edmonton Oilers at 33/1, and the Vancouver Canucks at 40/1.