2025-26 Stanley Cup Betting Odds: Pens Undervalued?

As the 2025 Stanley Cup Final begins and the NHL season winds down, FanDuel Sportsbook has released its early 2025-26 Stanley Cup betting odds. Needless to say, oddsmakers don’t think much of the Pittsburgh Penguins, having them priced +28000 to hoist the silver chalice next year. 

Are the Penguins undervalued? They are because while I don’t believe the Penguins will transform into a legitimate Cup contender during the offseason, making the playoffs next isn’t out of the question.

And if the 2025-26 Pens qualify for the postseason, that +28000 bet will be live.

A New Coach Could Supercharge a Rebuild

Mike Sullivan’s Penguins looked lifeless and uninterested for extended periods during the last three seasons. While Sullivan cannot take the full blame for a flawed roster, the mental lapses, especially from a veteran-laden team, were appalling. 

The 2024-25 Pens allowed a first goal on the first shot of a game 15 times. Is poor goaltending to blame? Yes, but allowing the first goal as often as the Pens did is a symptom of a team that, many nights, was not ready to play. 

The Pens also blew two-goal leads as if it were their job. Five times in the first 14 games, they blew a two-goal advantage and coughed up 18 leads during the regular season. Did these Penguins vets forget how to win games?

A new coach, Dan Muse, won’t cover up a lack of scoring depth, aging superstars, or a weak defensive corps. But a new coach and a different voice behind the bench may help translate some of those blown leads into wins. 

Karlsson Could Yet Come Good

Erik Karlsson’s play during the 4 Nations Face-Off was a revelation. He’s still capable, even at his advancing age, of elite play. He’s rarely shown it during his Penguins tenure, and his uneven (a generous term) play puts GM Kyle Dubas in a bind. 

The veteran Swede currently holds little trade value. Karlsson wasn’t dealt at the trade deadline and won’t command much in the offseason, so the Pens are stuck with him. Dan Muse will be tasked with figuring out how to turn Karlsson on. 

If he can spark Karlsson’s game, the Penguins will win more games, and Karlsson will fetch a fortune at next year’s trade deadline. Or get the Pens to the postseason.

Sidney Crosby Still Plays Here

And he wants to win now. 

The national hockey media fantasizes about Crosby departing the rebuilding Pittsburgh Penguins for the Colorado Avalanche or the Montreal Canadiens. Why wouldn’t they? 

A late-career Stanley Cup win for Crosby would be an intriguing story. Yet, there’s nary a whisper that Crosby wants to leave Pittsburgh. 

Crosby isn’t going anywhere, and he’s still elite. The 20-year veteran posted three 90-point seasons in a row. 

The Pens 2025-26 Stanley Cup Betting Odds

Don’t make parade plans, but the 2025-26 Pittsburgh Penguins aren’t one of the five worst teams in the NHL. Sidney Crosby still plays here, and a new coach could breathe new life into the veteran core. 

+28000 to win the Stanley Cup is far too long for a team that could make the playoffs. While I wouldn’t lay a lot of money on the Pens to win the Cup, I would lay a small amount knowing I’d have live action if the Pens qualify for the postseason.