Oilers and Stars continue to move up Stanley Cup odds board

In this week's edition of our Stanley Cup odds update, we profile a pair of West Coast underdogs hoping to hoist Lord Stanley’s hardware in the spring.

Odds to win the Stanley Cup

Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers’ odds have dropped from +2800 at the start of November, despite some less-than-stellar play since a 7-2-1 start to the campaign.

Edmonton is 10-8-2 over its last 20 games and has allowed 65 goals in that span. The Oilers allowed only 24 through their first 10 games. Their most recent loss, a 5-2 result against the dreadful Senators, seems like rock-bottom in what’s been an overall positive year for Connor McDavid and company. They fell out of first place in the Pacific Division after the Coyotes’ 3-1 victory over the Flyers on Thursday night.

“We’re in a good spot … but we have to fix some things,” forward Zack Kassian said Thursday. “There’s too many of the two good games, one bad one, or three good games, one bad one. We have to get more consistent.”

Bettors may want to take a wait-and-see approach with Edmonton. The Oilers have some winnable games, against the Kings and Sabres, this weekend.

Dallas Stars

The Stars were on the board at +2500 at the start of November but have played some inspired hockey since then. Dallas went 10-0-1 to start the month, before a four-game losing streak that was just broken up Thursday night, with an overtime victory against the Jets.

Unlike the Oilers, who boast the two leading points earners in the NHL in McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the Stars don’t have a single skater in the top 50 in points. Center Tyler Seguin, with his woeful 5.5 shooting percentage, leads the team with 23 points through 30 games. Right winger Alexander Radulov, second on the team in goals (eight), got the healthy-scratch treatment Thursday from head coach Jim Montgomery, in an attempt to shake things up. This team will only go as far as its goaltenders can take it. Ben Bishop (2.19 goals-against average, .929 save percentage) gets injured far too often, but Anton Khudobin (2.39 GAA, .922 save percentage) is a quality alternative.