NHL Stanley Cup

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are none other than the NHL playoffs; they take place starting around May and end with the Stanley Cup Finals in June. Stanley Cup Playoffs odds are available in many markets that open as soon as the previous season ends. The most popular market is the outright Stanley Cup Champion, where bettors can bet on the next champions.

Getting into the Stanley Cup Playoffs Odds

Many say the Stanley Cup is the “hardest trophy to win in pro sports”. Given the rough and sometimes arbitrary nature of NHL hockey, there might be some truth to this. Thus, a winning bet on the Stanley Cup Playoffs could feel like hitting the lottery.

The postseason starts around the spring but Stanley Cup Playoffs odds are available for most of the year. You can wager on the next Stanley Cup champion as early as the next day after a team wins it. Do this through “Futures” bets on the sportsbook.

How to Read Stanley Cup Playoff Odds

The odds display as either a negative number like -300 or a plus number like +200. The former is a favorite implying a higher probability of winning, and the latter is the underdog, indicating a lower chance of winning. The lower the number, the higher the chance of winning.

These odds are “American odds”. A negative number indicates how much you have to wager to win $100, so for -300, a wager of $300 is needed. On the other hand, the plus number shows your exact payout when you wager $100; this means that for +200, you win $200 for betting $100.

Alternatively, you can switch the format to decimal and fractional.

Teams History

Like most championships in professional team sports, the Stanley Cup has been won only by select franchises. As the oldest existing trophy to be awarded in pro sports, there have been hundreds of teams which have lifted the championship trophy.

Canadian teams have won the most, with the Montreal Canadiens winning 24 followed by the Toronto Maple Leafs with 13. The Detroit Red Wings are third with 11, the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks are next with six each, and at five we have the Pittsburgh Penguins and Edmonton Oilers.

As of 2022, 12 NHL teams have yet to win, with five yet to make the Stanley Cup Finals.

Betting Example

Betting on the Stanley Cup Playoffs can be done with outrights or futures. You can bet any team to win the Cup provided they still have odds on the board. Like the stock market, their prices will either shorten or lengthen, depending on how they are performing.

Not only can you bet on a team to win the Stanley Cup, but you can also bet on teams to either make or not make the playoffs.

Once the Stanley Cup is underway, other markets you can look at are the series prices: who wins a series, how many games it will go to, etc. Of course, you can bet on the individual games, from the puck line (point spreads) to the moneyline, to the totals.