2018-19 Stanley Cup Odds: Lightning, Predators Open as Betting Favorites

The Washington Capitals are the 2018 Stanley Cup champions, but they are looking up at a handful of teams when it comes to the favorites to take home the fabled trophy next season.

As OddsShark shared in the aftermath of Washington's 4-3 Game 5 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday at T-Mobile Arena, the Tampa Bay Lightning are favored to win the title next season. The Nashville Predators, Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins and Toronto Maple Leafs are all seen as more likely to win the Cup than Washington and Vegas as well:

While it may come as a surprise to the casual fans who primarily tuned in for the playoffs, the Lightning and Predators' status comes after they dominated the 2017-18 campaign.

Nashville's 117 points were the most in the league, while Tampa Bay's 113 were the most in the East. However, the Lightning lost two straight games to the Capitals in the Eastern Conference Final after seizing a 3-2 lead, falling a single win short of reaching the Stanley Cup Final. Nashville, meanwhile, lost in seven games to the Winnipeg Jets in the second round.

Winnipeg's 114 points were the second-most in the league, so it's not as if the Predators should be particularly ashamed of their heart-breaking exit the year after they reached the Stanley Cup Final.

For now, though, the Capitals will celebrate this season's championship—their first in franchise history.

Alex Ovechkin has waited to land the sport's ultimate prize since his first NHL game in 2005, and he scored a goal in Thursday's dramatic win. He also earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as the postseason's MVP after scoring 15 goals, cementing his status as an NHL legend.

But even with that effort, he couldn't cement the Capitals as next season's favorites.