Through the history of the National Hockey League, no team had won more than 62 games before this season.
The 2022-23 Boston Bruins won 65.
Here’s what’s at stake for the Bruins the next couple of months: If they win a Stanley Cup, they’ll have an argument as the greatest team in NHL history. There are a few older teams that played fewer games and have a claim on that title, but the Bruins would be in the conversation. But they need to win the Stanley Cup to enter the chat.
As the season went along, bettors loaded up on Bruins futures. Boston opened at +2500 odds to win the Stanley Cup. As the playoff starts on Monday, they’re +325 favorites at BetMGM. No other team is shorter than +700. In the Stanley Cup futures market, the Bruins had more than twice as many bets as any other team.
That includes a huge bet on the Bruins to win it all.
If you’re one of the many bettors holding a ticket on the Bruins to win the Stanley Cup, you’re feeling pretty good. But they still need to get 16 more wins to cash those tickets.
Many bets on Bruins
Early in the season, it was clear the Bruins were a dominant team. They had two seven-game winning streaks before Thanksgiving. The bets started coming in on the Bruins, driving their odds down.
Of all the bets on the Stanley Cup champion at BetMGM, 29.2% are on the Bruins. The Colorado Avalanche are second at 12.5%. Among all the money bet on who will win the Stanley Cup, an overwhelming 47.4% is on the Bruins. That includes the $100,000 bet on Boston.
That means BetMGM is rooting for every one of the other 15 teams in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Avalanche have the second-shortest odds at +700. The Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs are +900. Four other teams are +1200. The NHL playoffs can be unpredictable. Although it’s difficult to pinpoint one team to take down the Bruins, it’s still hard for any favorite to get through the playoffs and win the Stanley Cup. It will be tough even for a 65-win Bruins team.
The Bruins start their playoffs with a first-round series against the Florida Panthers. The Bruins are -350 favorites to win that series. At BetMGM, 89% of the money bet on the Panthers-Bruins series is on Boston.
The Bruins had a fantastic season
The Presidents’ Trophy is awarded to the team with the best record in the NHL. The history of those teams winning the Stanley Cup is surprisingly bad.
Since it was first awarded in 1985-86, only eight Presidents’ Trophy winners have won the Stanley Cup. Only two of the last 19 have taken the Stanley Cup. The last team to win both was the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks.
Just because the Bruins were the best team in the NHL doesn’t mean they’re winning the Stanley Cup. That has been proven many times. This Bruins team could be an exception.
The Bruins were beyond the normal Presidents’ Trophy winner. Their goal differential of 128 was the highest in the NHL this century. Their 305 goals were second in the NHL, led by 61 from David Pastrnak. The defense, led by goalie and likely Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark, allowed just 177 goals. That was 36 fewer goals than any other team allowed.
The Bruins were undeniably one of the greatest regular season teams the NHL has seen in decades. It won’t matter much if they don’t win a championship. Many bettors will be cheering them along.