Stanley Cup Odds and Betting
From the intense, physical play to the upsets that give even the biggest underdogs a chance at victory, the NHL’s Stanley Cup Playoffs are one of professional sports’ most prestigious and intriguing tournaments. In each series, new heroes are crowned, stepping up to give their team the edge to reach the next round. Rowdy crowds add a layer of fervor that makes each moment on the ice feel like the entire season rides on it. From waving their rally towels to the frenzy of sudden death overtime game-winning goals, hockey’s greatest players and fans enter the playoffs with their eyes on the most storied trophy in sports, the Stanley Cup.
The NHL’s Biggest Rivalries
Fierce competition and heated rivalries often lead to physicality and intense competition between teams. For NHL teams that have been with the league since its inception, some of these rivalries originated many decades ago.
The Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens rivalry dates back to their first playoff meeting in 1929, but is most noted for the 1955 riot on the streets of Montreal. Bruins and Canadiens games are often noted for in-game fights.
The Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals faced each other on multiple occasions in the early 1990s. Their 1992 series was noted for intensely physical play, and the Penguins pulled off one of the great comebacks in hockey’s history, eventually coming back from a 3-1 series deficit to take Game 7.
The New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils rivalry is often referred to as the “Battle of the Hudson”, but this rivalry is driven by more than just geographical proximity. This intense dislike dates back to 1988 when both teams were tied on the final day of the regular season. The Devils went on to advance to the postseason, and subsequent playoff series throughout the 90s came to be known for rough play and frequent bench-clearing brawls.
Stanley Cup Odds
Puck Line
When looking at Stanley Cup playoff odds and hockey bet types, you should know that spread bets are referred to as the puck line. Puck line bets place a margin by which the favored team is believed to beat their opponent. A negative puck line indicates that team as the favorite, while a positive puck line indicates that team as the underdog. Puck line bets are typically placed on a game-by-game basis throughout each game of a Stanley Cup playoff series. For example, if the Chicago Blackhawks are favored to beat the Nashville Predators in Game 3 of their series, the puck line would show:
| Team | Puck Line |
| Chicago | -1.5 |
| Nashville | +1.5 |
In this example, a wager on Chicago would mean that the Blackhawks would have to win by two goals or more for a successful wager. If Chicago were to only win by one goal, the bettor would lose that bet as Chicago did not cover the puck line, despite having won the game.
Moneyline
Moneyline bets give you the option of choosing a victor. Your payout would be determined by the odds of your chosen victor. The Stanley Cup betting odds on a moneyline bet are formatted to indicate how much will be returned on a $100 wager. If you choose the Pittsburgh Penguins to win with odds of +200, a winning wager would return you $300 (your original $100 bet plus the $200 in winnings).
Total
Total bets give you the opportunity to bet on the combined goal total between both teams at the final horn. If the total for a game between the San Jose Sharks and Edmonton Oilers is 5.5, and a bettor selects the over, the two teams involved would need to combine for six goals or more to win that bet. Think they’ll have a slow-paced, physical game? Expecting legendary goalie performances? You would take the under and hope the teams combine for fewer than 5.5 goals.
Player props
Prop bets add a layer of fun to your NHL Stanley Cup odds experience. Prop bets allow you to bet on specific outcomes and occurrences throughout each game. In hockey, player prop bets are typically listed as an over/under for an individual player. For example, in a points player prop bet of 0.5, a bettor would essentially be betting on whether or not that player will record a point in that game. Prop bets give you the chance to track more than just the wins and losses of your favorite team.
Parlay bets
A parlay bet is a bet on multiple outcomes but requires each of those outcomes to occur for a payout. For example, if you bet $100 on the Anaheim Ducks to cover the puck line and a prop bet for the over on Trevor Zegras recording a point, both events would need to occur for a payout. For parlay bets, you can include a variety of bets on one ticket—puck line, moneyline bets, and props can all be pulled together into a parlay bet.
While the payouts for a parlay bet can be substantial, all conditions have to be met to win.
Learn more about Stanley Cup and NHL betting by visiting the DraftKings Sportsbook Hockey Betting Guide.
History of the Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is the trophy awarded to the National Hockey League’s champion, but also refers to the annual playoff tournament which determines that winner. The trophy itself predates the NHL, going back to 1892 when Lord Stanley of Preston donated the cup as a challenge cup to be held by Canada’s top amateur hockey club. In 1926, the Stanley Cup Playoffs and NHL playoffs would first be considered the same tournament, though the NHL wouldn’t formally own the Stanley Cup trophy until 1947. The Stanley Cup Playoffs now consist of four, best-of-seven series amongst the NHL’s top 16 teams, eight per conference.
One of the original six NHL teams, the Montreal Canadiens, have won the most Stanley Cups, having hoisted the trophy a total of 24 times. The Toronto Maple Leafs have been champions 13 times and the Detroit Red Wings have been champions on 11 occasions. The Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks have each been Stanley Cup champions six times.