Who are the favorites to make it to the Conference Finals?
The winners of the Eastern Division and Western division will face off in the Stanley Cup Final this June. Before then, teams need to make it to the Conference Finals.
In the east, there’s one clear favourite and that is the Colorado Avalanche. The club has +175 odds of winning the Western Conference outright and are the overall Stanley Cup favourites. The Edmonton OIlers (+480) and Vegas Golden Knights (+600) also have solid odds to win the Western Conference, but they will likely have to play each other before the Conference Finals, which makes things more difficult for both of them.
Out east, things are more competitive. The Carolina Hurricanes are the favourites to win the Eastern Conference Cup, with +175 odds, but Tampa Bay aren’t far behind at +250 to win.
Stanley Cup Matchup Odds
| Team Lineup | Odds |
|---|---|
| Carolina Hurricanes vs Colorado Avalanche | +165 |
| Carolina Hurricans vs Vega Golden Knights | +400 |
| Montreal Canadiens vs Colorado Avalanche | +900 |
| Buffalo Sabres vs Colorado Avalanche | +950 |
| Carolina Hurricanes vs Minnesota Wild | +1000 |
| Buffalo Sabres vs Vegas Golden Knights | +1800 |
| Montreal Canadiens vs Vegas Golden Knights | +1800 |
Odds provided by BET99 and subject to change.
Eastern Conference Winner
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Carolina Hurricanes | -190 |
| Montreal Canadiens | +390 |
| Buffalo Sabres | +440 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | +2700 |
Odds provided by BET99 and subject to change.
Western Conference Winner
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Colorado Avalanche | -135 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | +230 |
| Minnesota Wild | +675 |
| Anaheim Ducks | +1150 |
Odds provided by BET99 and subject to change.
Popular Bet Types
Moneyline
Straight-up bets on which team will win a game. The margin of victory doesn’t matter. As long as you pick the correct winner, you will win. This makes moneyline bets simple and solid places to start for new bettors, but they don’t always offer great value.
Points Spread
Handicap wagers based on the perceived gap in quality between teams. The spread, also called the puck line, is almost always -1.5 goals in hockey. If you bet on the favourite, they need to win by two goals or more to cover the spread. Alternatively, if you bet on the underdog, they just need to lose by fewer than two goals.
Total (Over/Under)
Wagers on the combined number of goals scored by both teams in the game. Bookmakers set a line based on how many goals they expect will be scored (e.g., 5.5 goals). You then bet on whether the total will be over or under that line.
Props
Bets on some aspect of a game not directly related to the outcome. In hockey, the most popular props are player props. These bets are tied to a specific player and how they will perform. For example, you can bet on whether Connor McDavid will score in a game.
History and Trends
The Stanley Cup playoffs have a reputation for chaos and unpredictability. For the most part, this reputation is true, but there are a few notable trends that bettors should know about before placing their wagers.
The first is that the best regular-season team rarely wins the Stanley Cup. Only eight of the 35 teams that won the President’s Trophy have later gone on to win the Stanley Cup. This doesn’t bode well for this year’s President’s Trophy winner, Colorado.
The Avalanche also have their overall against them. Historically, big favourites don’t win the Stanley Cup. At the start of the playoffs, Colorado had the best NHL playoffs odds, with +340 odds to win the title. Only one team with pre-playoff odds lower than +400 has won the Stanley Cup since 2013. Ironically, that team was Colorado in the 2021-22 season.
Another trend to look out for are Wild Card teams — they typically don’t do well. Since the NHL introduced the Wild Card in 2013, the 2017 Nashville Predators are the only team to reach the Stanley Cup Final as a Wild Card. This is something you should consider before putting all your money on the Ottawa Senators.
Wins and Appearances
The NHL playoffs is one of the most storied events in sports, with history dating back to the 1910s. Since then, the Montreal Canadiens have been the most successful team in NHL playoffs history. The Habs have qualified for the playoffs 87 times and lifted the Stanley Cup a record 24 times.
The Toronto Maple Leafs (74 playoff appearances and 13 Stanley Cup wins) and Detroit Red Wings (64 playoff appearances and 11 Stanley Cup wins are the next most successful teams in NHL history. Boston Bruins also have a strong NHL playoff record, with 78 all-time appearances, but they’ve only won six Stanley Cup titles.
More recently, the Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning have dominated the NHL playoffs. Both teams have qualified for the postseason nine straight times. No other team has a longer active streak.
How and Where to Bet on the NHL Playoffs
- Choose a bookmaker: Review the top NHL betting sites, assess their bonuses, markets, and other features. Then, pick the one that’s best for you.
- Create your account: Go to the sportsbook site and select Register or Join Now to create your account.
- Deposit funds: Find the cashier page, select deposit, choose your preferred payment method and make your first deposit.
- Research bets and compare odds: Look through the NHL betting markets for a wager you like. Do your research and look around for the best odds.
- Place bet: If you like a bet and feel comfortable with the odds, select it and add it to your betslip. Then, just enter your wager amount and place your bet.
Finding the right platform is just as important as finding the right bet. For Canadian bettors, we recommend starting with these top-rated NHL betting sites.
- BET99: Excellent for those looking for a localized experience with extensive NHL futures and "Big Boosts" on Canadian teams.
- Sports Interaction (SIA): A staple in the Canadian market, offering some of the most competitive puck lines and a deep variety of hockey-specific game props.
- bet365: Widely considered the best for live betting, providing seamless in-play markets and early payout offers if your team takes a significant lead.
By comparing the odds across these three major operators, you can ensure you are getting the maximum value for every dollar wagered during the Stanley Cup hunt.
How to Read NHL Playoffs Odds
All the best Canadian betting sites use the American odds format for their NHL playoffs odds. This format uses positive numbers to represent how much value you can get from a $100 bet and negative numbers to tell you how much you need to bet to win $100. The higher the odds, the bigger an underdog a team is.
The best way to explain how to read NHL playoffs odds is with an example, so here’s a breakdown using +200 and -200 odds:
- Positive Odds show you how much you will win from a $100 wager, so +200 means you would win $200 in profit from your $100 bet for a $300 total payout.
- Negative Odds give you the amount you need to bet to win $100 in profit. To win $100 on a bet with -200 odds, you would need to bet $200.
If you're new to the game, check out our NHL 101 guide or our NHL glossary to get up to speed.