Updated Stanley Cup Odds See Columbus Blue Jackets Move Up

Cover Photo: Getty Images

The Columbus Blue Jackets set the hockey world on fire to open up the Stanley Cup playoffs by sweeping the Tampa Bay Lightning.

To put the victory into some context, when the playoffs began, Tampa Bay was the heavy favorite to win the Stanley Cup at +195, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, while the Blue Jackets opened at +2000. Now that Columbus has officially eliminated Tampa Bay, oddsmakers at FanDuel Sportsbook have provided updated odds for the Blue Jackets and the rest of the field.

The Blue Jackets' odds shot all the way up to +850 before completing the sweep of Tampa Bay on Tuesday night via a dominant 7-3 victory. Now their odds have skyrocketed to +750, which is tied with Nashville for the third best odds to take home the Stanley Cup. Nashville's odds made an impressive jump in their own right, climbing from +1400 on April 15 after a narrow 3-2 victory to take a 2-1 series advantage over the Dallas Stars.

The New York Islanders (+550), who made quick work of the Pittsburgh Penguins by completing the sweep Tuesday night, and the Washington Capitals (+600) round out the grouping of teams with the best odds to win the Stanley Cup, according to oddsmakers at FanDuel Sportsbook. The Capitals are currently up 2-1 against the Carolina Hurricanes heading into game four on Thursday's night.

Elsewhere in the NHL, the Vegas Golden Knights round out the top five teams in terms of odds at +850 after a convincing 5-0 win on Tuesday night to take 3-1 series lead over the San Jose Sharks. The Toronto Maple Leafs have also seen a significant increase in their odds to win the Stanley Cup, jumping from +1400 on Monday all the way to +950 after taking a 2-1 series lead over the rival Boston Bruins.

The NHL Playoffs are known for being the most unpredictable postseason in the four major professional sports and the 2019 edition has done nothing but reinforce that claim. The opening favorite, who tied the regular season record for wins, has now officially been eliminated in the first-round and the upstart Islanders have already derailed a star-laden Pittsburgh Penguins team.

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