Oddsmakers predict Rangers-Blackhawks Stanley Cup finals

Oddsmakers Bovada pick the New York Rangers to beat the Chicago Blackhawks for the Stanley Cup.

Which team will skate the Stanley Cup this spring? Odds are it will be the Rangers.

NHL Power Rankings: Rangers cling to No. 1 as Wild make run at top

New York’s Broadway Blueshirts, listed at 12/1 a month ago, are now at 13/2 and the favorites to win the championship according to the oddsmakers at Bovada.com.

Despite some recent struggles, the Blackhawks are the best bet out of the Western Conference at 7/1.

The Wild surged from 14/1 to 8/1 on the strength of an 11-3 record in March. The Canadiens held steady at 10/1, the second-best odds for any team from the Eastern Conference.

Here’s how the rest of the field lays out. The first numbers represent each team’s odds on March 3. The second set are the current odds as of April 1.

Ducks: 9/1 then    9/1 now

Blues:  10/1 then   10/1 now

Lightning: 14/1 then  10/1 now

Predators: 9/1 then    14/1 now

Penguins: 12/1 then  14/1 now    

Kings: 12/1 then   16/1 now

NHL Playoff Race: Projected matchups if season ended today

Bruins:

Islanders: 12/1 then  18/1 now               

Red Wings: 14/1 then   20/1 now

Canucks: 25/1 then   20/1 now

Capitals: 18/1 then  22/1 now

Flames: 33/1 then   33/1 now

Jets: 33/1 then  40/1 now

Senators: 200/1 then  50/1 now

Panthers: 66/1 then  300/1 now

The remaining 11 teams have been taken off the board.

Bovada also offered odds on two major awards. Canadiens star Carey Price is the favorite to win the Hart Memorial Trophy at 1/3.  Washington’s 50-goal man Alex Ovechkin is second at 7/2 with Pittsburgh supertar Sidney Crosby at 7/1, Minnesota’s golden goalie Devan Dubnyk at 15/1 and Islanders captain John Tavares at 20/1.

For the Calder Trophy (rookie of the year), Bovada lists Calgary’s Johnny Gaudreau as the prohibitive favorite at 4/7, followed by Nashville’s Filip Forsberg at 7/4, Ottawa’s Mike Hoffman at 6/1 and Florida’s Aaron Ekblad at 8/1.

The Sabres are 13/4 favorites to win the NHL’s Draft Lottery and the right to draft Connor McDavid. The Coyotes are second at 5/1, followed by Toronto at 6/1.