St. Louis Blues Now Have Second-Best Stanley Cup Odds After Game 1 Win

• Following their Game 1 win in Winnipeg, the St. Louis Blues now have the second-best odds to win the 2019 Stanley Cup
• Are the Blues legitimate cup contenders?
• Is there better value elsewhere?

The St. Louis Blues entered the NHL playoffs as +1400 dark horses, but after their 2-1 victory in Winnipeg on Wednesday, they’ve now jumped to +900 contenders. They entered the postseason winning eight of their final 10 and have now turned the oddsmakers into believers.

Odds to Win 2019 Stanley Cup Final

*Odds taken April 11th

Can the Blues capture a cup?

The Blues were on a downward slope until the second half of the season hit. After the All-Star break, the team ripped off ten in a row and went 23-6-4 to end the year. The Blues were even slight “favorites” heading into this series, despite not having home-ice, and consolidated that status with the road win on Wednesday night.

A big part of their success has been the play of rookie goaltending phenom Jordan Binnington. “Winnington” has been an absolute shining light for the Blues and is mainly responsible for bringing them back from the dead. He was needed early and often in Game 1, and will be relied upon heavily for a long run into June.

Jordan Binnington preserves the Game 1 win for the Blues pic.twitter.com/VmCzQDvotw

— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) April 11, 2019

In his young career, he is 24-5 with a goals against average of 1.89 and a .927 save percentage. Had he played the whole season, he’d be the likely favorite for Rookie of the Year and maybe the Vezina as well.

Goaltending was the Blues’ biggest issue in the first half of the season, but with that corrected and their scorers hitting the stat sheet consistently, at +900 on the Stanley Cup odds board, there’s a lot to like about St. Louis right now.

Are there any better value picks out there?

There are certainly some strong contenders out there. In the East, this may be your best chance to lock up the +1000 odds on the Bruins. The Leafs are limping into the postseason and Boston had a red-hot second half. The B’s are major contenders.

#SJSHARKS WIN GAME ONE 5-2!!! pic.twitter.com/7LBRr3DHRM

— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) April 11, 2019

On the other side of the playoff tree, following their Game 1 romp of the Vegas Golden Knights, the Sharks at +1000 looks like reasonable value as well. A convincing win in Game 2 will see their odds get even shorter.  This may be your final chance to cash in high on a cup contender in the weaker West.