The Odds(makers) Still Frown upon the New York Islanders

We don't typically pay breathless attention to sports book odds here, because betting on hockey sounds as fruitful as betting on an Eric Boulton breakaway goal.

That said, it's worth noting what one oddsmaker thinks of the Islanders offseason: Not impressed.

According to Bovada, the Islanders' Stanley Cup odds are 66/1 -- that's no surprise (though it's down from 50/1 on July 9, which is ... curious). For reference, the Hawks have the top odds at 13/2, while the Isles are lumped with several teams (Carolina, Ottawa, Arizona, Winnipeg) at ninth-worst odds to win it all.

What's interesting though is where the Isles fall on current odds to win the Metropolitan Division: Tied for last at 12/1.

The full listing for odds of each Metro Division team to win the division title:

1. Penguins - 9/4
2. Redpants - 7/2
3. Flyers - 11/2
4. Blue Jackets - 13/2
5. Capitals - 7/1
6. Devils - 9/1
7. Hurricanes - 12/1
8. Islanders - 12/1

Granted, hockey is a notoriously silly betting proposition, and the bookmaker's defense is always "hey we set 'em in response to the people/action/robots/voices in our head" or some such gambling talk. But based on offseason reviews of those following the sport closely, this appears to be a misread.

For once, it might be interesting to monitor how this changes, assuming the Islanders survive November.