Below are NHL odds to make the postseason. When the Cup Playoffs roll around, we will post NHL Playoffs odds for each game.
NHL Playoffs odds
Find NHL Playoffs odds below.
Stanley Cup Playoff odds and history
The winner of the Stanley Cup Playoffs can often have longshot odds at the beginning of a season. Playoff hockey routinely has lower seeded teams making deep runs in the postseason, and top-seeded teams can often fall early. Here are what the pre-season odds of the past six NHL champions looked like:
- Florida Panthers +800
- Vegas Golden Knights: +1800
- Colorado Avalanche: +600
- Tampa Bay Lightning: +900
- Tampa Bay Lightning: +675
- St. Louis Blues: +3000
The Florida Panthers opened as the pre-season favorites to win the Stanley Cup last season with +800 odds. It put them just ahead of the New Jersey Devils and Toronto Maple Leafs with a +900 price. New Jersey missed the playoffs, and Toronto was knocked out in the first round by the Bruins.
Looking back at the previous season, the Vegas Golden Knights were relative longshots to win the championship. Their preseason odds of +1800 put them around the middle of the pack when it came to preseason odds boards. For instance, the Avalanche were last season’s preseason favorites with +425 odds to win it all. The biggest longshots had pre-season odds of +50000.
The St. Louis Blues are the best recent example of a true longshot to win it all. St. Louis was around +3000 to win the Cup at most books ahead of the 2018-2019 season. St. Louis was not a top-seeded team entering the playoffs either as it got into the dance despite finishing third in the Central Division. The Blues were +1250 to win it all entering that year’s postseason.
There have been just nine different Stanley Cup winners since 2009 with the Blackhawks winning three times, the Penguins winning three times, the Kings winning twice and the Lightning winning twice.
NHL playoffs odds: How to bet the Stanley Cup Playoffs
NHL playoffs odds and futures lines opened last offseason and have been adjusted throughout the year. Odds have risen and fallen to reflect the standings as underdogs and favorites change place amid losing and winning streaks.
The odds to win the Stanley Cup are always the main draw.
As mentioned above, the Golden Knights were the favorites to win the Cup just prior to the start of the 2023 NHL season. Colorado was +1800 at DK. If you got the Golden Knights at that price in October 2023, you would have gotten a profit of $1800 on a $100 bet. If you wagered $10 at that price for the Golden Knights, you would net $180.
Game lines will include over/unders for goal totals typically ranging from 5 to 6,.5 with odds typically from -120 to +120 on either side. A spread or puck line of +/- 1.5 will handicap the favorites by asking if they’ll win by 1 or more goals. Odds are commonly set at -110 for both teams, whereas a moneyline could price the favorites at a much chalkier -250 with an underdog at +200 or higher to win the game outright.
Player props will be released closer to the beginning of the postseason. These will include a pool of contenders to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the playoffs. Odds can range from +100 to +10000 and will reflect both a player’s point production and abilities, and the chances of his team winning the Stanley Cup. Game props will ask simple Yes/No questions such as whether they’ll score a goal. There can also be an over/under line for how many shots on goal they’ll register or saves a goalie will make.