BetMGM: Conference championship odds, biggest risers, fallers

The New Jersey Devils entered this season with internal expectations that were "high for obvious reasons," general manager Tom Fitzgerald said in mid-November, when the team was 11 games into what would become a franchise-record tying 13 game winning streak.

The reasons were presumably the offseason acquisitions of goalie Vitek Vanecek, forward Erik Haula, defenseman Brendan Smith, and other impact players after a 63-point season in the 2021-22 season.
On June 26, the Devils opened at +4000 in Eastern Conference champion odds at the
BetMGM online sportsbook
, tied for the 13th shortest. Only the Columbus Blue Jackets (+5000) and Montreal Canadiens (+8000) had longer odds.
When the regular season began in October, the Devils were marginally higher (+3500) but still had the 12th-shortest odds. But they had the sixth-most tickets; 4.9% of all Eastern Conference champion bets were on the Devils to make their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 2012.
At the All-Star break, the Devils odds are even higher (+750), which ranks fifth. They are one of several teams whose odds to reach the Cup Final have moved either up or down.
Here are the biggest risers and fallers in Eastern Conference and Western Conference champion odds from the start of the regular season until the All-Star break (Feb. 2):

Eastern Conference

New Jersey Devils:+7
The Devils' conference championship odds (+750) have barely moved in more than two weeks but still rank fifth, a conference- and NHL-high jump of seven spots since Oct. 5. And the public has been willing to pay a higher price.
The Devils' ticket share has nearly doubled from Oct. 5 (4.9%) to Feb. 2 (9%), while their handle share has more than doubled (2.7% to 6.7%).
Boston Bruins: +6
After opening the season with the seventh-shortest odds (+1400), the Bruins became Eastern Conference co-favorites (with the Carolina Hurricanes) in early November (+500) and haven't dropped since.
With six different winning streaks of at least three games -- including three of at least six games - the Bruins are the clear favorites at +250, well clear of the Hurricanes (+450) and everyone else.
No team has a higher ticket share (18.3%, up from 3.9% on Oct. 5 and currently climbing by roughly one percentage point per week), and only two teams -- Washington Capitals (23.6%) and New York Rangers (17.8%) have a higher handle share (13.4%).
Florida Panthers: -6
Only one team had shorter odds than the Florida Panthers (+450) when the season started -- the Toronto Maple Leafs (+425). Now seven teams have shorter odds than the Panthers, who at +2000 are buried in both ticket share (2%, 13th) and handle share (1.8%, 12th).
They've fallen in conference championship odds more than any team in the NHL.

Western Conference

Seattle Kraken: +7
When the season started, 2% of tickets were on the Kraken to win the Western Conference in their second season in the NHL. More than 8% of tickets are now on the Kraken (8.2%) as they continue rising up the board.
The Kraken have jumped from the 14th-shortest odds (+6600) to the seventh-shortest odds (+1100) as they matched last year's win total (27) through just 45 games.
Dallas Stars: +5
The Stars' strong first half caught the attention of bettors, though those bettors weren't wagering large sums on the Stars to reach their second Stanley Cup Final in the last four seasons.
After opening the season with 1% of tickets (13th-most) and 0.2% of the handle (13th) on +1800 odds (eighth), the Stars have 8.2% of tickets (fourth) with +600 odds (third).
Those tickets, however, account for only 2.8% of the handle (seventh), representing one of the biggest ticket-to-handle gaps in the league.
St. Louis Blues: -5
The Blues' conference odds recovered from an early-season drop - during their eight-game losing streak - as they won seven in a row. But they dropped again with six losses in seven games from late November through early December.
At +5000, the Blues have the 11th-shortest Western Conference championship odds, way down from +1200 (sixth) on Oct. 5. They have 4% of tickets (10th) and 1.7% of the handle (ninth).
You can view updated NHL odds and more online sports betting opportunities at the BetMGM online sportsbook.