Connor McDavid Makes Edmonton Oilers Among Stanley Cup Favourites

The clear betting favourite for the Hart Trophy as the National Hockey League MVP, the Edmonton Oilers Connor McDavid is doing things not seen in nearly 30 years, and NHL betting sites are taking notice. From a high of +2000 at the start of the new year, they’re as low as +800 at Betway at the time of writing.

While the Boston Bruins are the clear front runners, there are many reasons why bettors are starting to take notice of Edmonton as the regular season comes to a close . We’ll examine three reasons the Oilers are gaining so much momentum from bettors before the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs start.

Wide Open Western Conference

The NHL’s Western Conference is not as strong as in previous seasons, and that’s reflected in the odds on various betting apps for the Stanley Cup. Only three of the top nine teams listed at Sports Interaction are in the Western Conference. Even outside the betting market, five of the top six teams in the league standings reside out East. That side of the bracket is projected to be a meat grinder, benefiting teams out West who could have an easier path to the final. The defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche are the only other formidable team in the West the Oilers might have to face.

Historical Season from McDavid

The Oilers will only go as far as McDavid takes them, and with the way his season is going, who knows what that limit could be.

The first overall pick in the 2025 NHL draft has 146 points, 26 more than his teammate Leon Drasaitl and 40 more than third-place Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning. He’s on pace to become the first player since Mario Lemieux in the 1995-96 season to eclipse the 150 point mark, which would be an achievement in and of itself. Very rarely in hockey have we seen one player carry a team to a Stanley Cup, but McDavid has the talent to do that. He’s already produced a number of individually brilliant moments like the one below this season, and he could do the exact same once the lights shine brights.

Oh Connor...

📺: @Sportsnet ➡️ https://t.co/uEVY6yXLpz #NHLonSN pic.twitter.com/bpVW5vr0bk

— NHL (@NHL) April 2, 2023

Lethal Powerplay

When opposing teams take penalties against the Oilers, more often than not the puck ends up in the back of the net.

Edmonton’s man advantage is running at a 32.4% clip this season. It would be the best mark in the salary cap era if that holds, and could be a big advantage during the playoffs where every goal counts. McDavid, Draisaitl, and teammate Ryan Nugent-Hopkins are one, two, and three, respectively, in powerplay points, and it’s one of the big reasons why the Oilers are among the favourites on sports betting sites.

While historically, powerplay opportunities dry up in the playoffs, the Oilers may not need that many chances to take advantage.