Current NHL Stanley Cup Odds: Favorites & Contenders
The most exciting time of the NHL season is set to start soon. Here’s all you need to know about Stanley cup odds this season.
Stanley Cup Odds: Latest Updates
The odds for the Stanley Cup Playoffs are changing all the time. If you want to know what the latest odds are saying, you’re in the right place.
What are the current Stanley Cup odds?
Check out the odds table below for the latest odds for every NHL team to win the Stanley Cup this year.
Who is favored to win the 2025 Stanley Cup?
Right now, the Edmonton Oilers are favoured to take the Stanley Cup home this year. There are a lot of reasons why this makes sense. Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid are both top points leaders, the only two players from the same team in the top five. Overall, the Oilers currently sit near the top of the league in wins. Many expect this strong performance to continue through the spring.
Stanley Cup News
- đź“… Stanley Cup odds in March have the Edmonton Oilers as favorites to win at +650.
- đź“… The Panthers trade Spencer Knights and a conditional first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft for defenseman Seth Jones.
- đź“… Matthew Tkachuk is out for the rest of the regular season with a groin injury and may return for the postseason.
- đź“… Jets star Connor Hellebuyck is one of 3 Stars of the Week as he continues to backstop the Jets into championship contention.
Stanley Cup Favourites
There’s a lot that goes into picking Stanley Cup favourites. Sports betting odds, player performance, team synergy, injuries and coaching are all integral factors. Let’s take a closer look at some of the favourites from each conference:
Western Conference Favourites
Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers have a famed history in the league and currently sit in a good position to take another Stanley Cup this season. Strong defense paired with some serious offensive point-scorers makes for an intimidating combination for any team they are up against.
- âś… Strengths: The Oilers have one of the strongest offenses in the league, led by three-time Hart winner Connor McDavid and star Leon Draisaitl. They also possess a defense that can hold their own with the best, led by Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard.
- ❌ Weaknesses: While having one of the best goal scorers in the league, Edmonton lacks overall depth when putting the puck in the net, with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman suffering a dropoff from great campaigns last season. Stuart Skinner has also shown flashes in front of the net, but having consistent goaltending will be crucial to the Oilers' chances of winning it all.
Dallas Stars
The Stars have had an incredible season this year, currently sitting among the top teams in the league. They might not have the top celebrities in the league, but that doesn’t mean they should be discounted. Goalie Jake Oettinger, in particular, plays a reliable game to shut down their opponents.
- âś… Strengths: The stars are favorites and at near the top of the Central division by having depth at nearly every position. Oettinger is also one of the best goalies in the NHL.
- ❌ Weaknesses: One of the Stars' biggest weaknesses is their powerplay, which currently ranks 13th on the extra-man attack.
Eastern Conference Favorites
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are still a top-5 Stanley Cup favourite at the moment. The acquisition of forward standout Mikko Rantanen is an important consideration, especially after his game-winning goal for Finland against Sweden in the 4 Nations Face Off.
- âś… Strengths: The Canes have consistently used their special teams as a source of offense this season, ranking 2nd in the league on the penalty kill. The defense remains Top-10, ranking ninth in goals against.
- ❌ Weaknesses: Even though they have scored plenty of goals, they have struggled on the power play, ranking 24th on the extra-man attack. The Canes also struggle to convert on their shooting opportunities, ranking 24th in shooting percentage.
Florida Panthers
The Panthers have been a formidable force throughout the season. After winning their first Stanley Cup last year, the team has proven its strength, and is hungry for another championship victory. Sam Reinhart leads the charge, being among the top goal-scorers in the league this year.
- âś… Strengths: The Panthers are 2nd in the Atlantic division with a powerful offensive attack led by veteran goal scorers. Additionally, the Panthers are sixth in goals, showcasing their depth across the four lines.
- ❌ Weaknesses: The Panthers have lacked consistent goaltending this season, which will be crucial to their chances of winning the Stanley Cup. They have also been average on the penalty kill, highlighting a potential weakness that others might expose in the playoffs.
Stanley Cup Contenders
While they might not be the current favourites, these teams still have a good chance at contending for Stanley Cup Champion title. Many of the same factors for assessing contenders apply.
Western Conference Stanley Cup Contenders
Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets are not to be underestimated this year, especially with Mark Scheifele being a top goal-scorer in the league.
- âś… Strengths: Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck has been exceptional this season, boasting a 1.99 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage, surpassing his Vezina Trophy-winning performance from last season.
- ❌ Weaknesses: The Jets rely on special teams, raising concerns about their ability to maintain scoring momentum, especially if their power play experiences a downturn during the season or the playoffs.
Vegas Golden Knights
The Golden Knights took home their first Stanley Cup at the end of the 2023 season. They still boast a strong lineup, and they stand a fair chance at the title two years later.
- âś… Strengths: The Golden Knights boast a strong lineup down the middle, featuring centers like Jack Eichel, William Karlsson, and Tomas Hertl, providing both offensive firepower and defensive reliability.
- ❌ Weaknesses: Certain defensive pairings for the Golden Knights have shown inconsistency throughout the season.
Eastern Conference Stanley Cup Contenders
Toronto Maple Leafs
Maple Leafs fans had a disappointing end to the season last year when the Boston Bruins eliminated the Leafs. Whether or not they have what it takes to make it all the way this year is to be seen.
- âś… Strengths: Under new head coach Craig Berube, the Maple Leafs have prioritized defense, leading to improved attention to detail in their own zone compared to previous seasons.
- ❌ Weaknesses: While top players like Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner contribute significantly, the team has faced challenges with depth scoring.
Washington Capitals
The Capitals have made a statement this season, dominating the Metropolitan Division with a blend of young emerging stars and Alexander Ovechkin, one of the greatest goal-scorers in the world.
- âś… Strengths: The emergence of defensemen Dylan Strome, Aliaksei Protas, and Pierre-Luc Dubois has bolstered the Capitals, helping them rank at the top of the NHL in goals. Ovechkin has remained a threat on the ice as he chases Wayne Gretzky's record.
- ❌ Weaknesses: The Capitals take too many penalties sometimes, and it stalls their momentum, which can hurt them down the line.
NHL Stanley Cup Longshots
Key your eye on these teams. There’s still time before the Stanely Cup Playoffs kick off, and while they might not be at the top of the list for teams expected to win, hockey is a dynamic sport. These longshots very well might come out on top.
Western Conference Stanley Cup Longshots
Los Angeles Kings
Though not as high as the previously mentioned teams, the LA Kings shouldn’t be overlooked. Defenseman Drew Doughty has had a standout performance recently, especially in the 4 Nations Face-Off.
- âś… Strengths: The Kings have excelled defensively, allowing an average of 2.47 goals per game, and have veteran leadership behind captain Anze Kopitar.
- ❌ Weaknesses: The Kings have faced difficulties scoring this season, as they currently rank 24th in goals scored. Converting on the extra-man attack has also been an issue, as the Kings rank just 29th on the powerplay.
Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche struggled to start the season but have bounced back, getting a boost from the mid-season acquisitions of Mackenzie Blackwood, Scott Wedgewood, Martin Necas, Jack Drury, and Charles Lindgren.
- âś… Strengths: The Avalanche have one of the best players in the world, Nathan MacKinnon, who, along with Cale Makar, leads an explosive offense that is always a threat to score.
- ❌ Weaknesses: The Avs have been inconsistent on special teams, ranking 15th on the powerplay and 13th on the penalty kill, while also having some defensive lapses earlier this season.
Minnesota Wild
The Wild has been making changes to its roster as of late, with aims to further strengthen the team. Fans will be interested to see how this will play out later in the season.
- âś… Strengths: The Wild have the best record on the road in the league behind goaltender Filip Gustavsson, who has a goals-against average of 2.61 and a save percentage of .914.
- ❌ Weaknesses: The Wild have been inconsistent in the faceoff circle, with losses in critical situations leading to defensive vulnerabilities.
Eastern Conference Stanley Cup Longshots
New Jersey Devils
Backed by one of the strongest goalies in the league, Jacob Markstrom, the Devils are set to make good competition this Stanley Cup Playoffs.
- âś… Strengths: The acquisitions of defensemen Brenden Dillon, Brett Pesce, and Johnathan Kovacevic have bolstered the Devils' blue line, providing stability and experience and helping them rank third in goals against.
- ❌ Weaknesses: The Devils have several new players, making team chemistry challenging this season. Jack Hughes just suffered a serious shoulder injury, which could cost him the rest of the season.
Tampa Bay Lightning
With Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point and Brandon Hagel on the offence, the Lightning are certainly a force. Whether the rest of the team has what it takes to take the Cup home is the real question.
- âś… Strengths: Andrei Vasilevskiy remains a cornerstone in net, recording 29 wins and maintaining a goals-against average of 2.18, providing the team with consistent and reliable performance. The Bolts also remain strong on the powerplay, ranking fourth on the extra-man attack.
- ❌ Weaknesses: The Lightning have faced challenges in taking penalties, which has often hindered their momentum in games.
New York Rangers
The Rangers season has had some ups and downs, but the team still has their eyes on the prize. Offensive star Artemi Panarin could very well lead his team to victory.
- âś… Strengths: Despite facing challenges, the Rangers have demonstrated resilience, securing crucial victories such as their recent 5-1 win over the New York Islanders.
- ❌ Weaknesses: The Rangers have encountered defensive lapses, evident in games where they have been outshot significantly. These inconsistencies have occasionally led to conceding a high number of goals.
Betting Strategies
There are a number of fun ways to bet on the Stanley Cup this year. Different bet types offer bettors ways to focus on different aspects of the game. In this section, we’ll go through all the various bet types so you know what to expect.
Stanley Cup Futures Bets
While most bets entail betting on events right around the corner, future bets focus on events way down the line. Futures are most popular for major sporting events, like the Stanley Cup final. If you’re interested in betting futures for the Stanely Cup Playoffs, you should get to it sooner rather than later.
Stanley Cup Moneyline Bets
Moneyline bets are about as simple a bet as you can get. This bet type looks at who will be the outright winner of a match. Choose correctly, and you’ll have yourself a successful bet.
Stanley Cup Point Spread Bets
You can think of point spreads as more complicated versions of moneylines. In addition to considering which team will win, bettors must decide on the margin of victory for the winning team, which is the spread.
Stanley Cup Totals Bets
Totals, also known as over/unders, ask bettors to decide whether the total score of the game will be more or less than a number proposed by the sportsbook. Guess correctly, and your bet wins.
Stanley Cup Player Props
Player props are a fun way to bet on the Stanley Cup without having to think about which team will win the game. Instead, these bets are all about player performance, whether it’s goals scored or penalties.
Stanley Cup MVP Odds
Betting on the Stanley Cup MVP allows bettors to wager on who they think will be the most valuable player for the tournament. While star players might seem like an obvious pick, long-shots could earn you more winnings if you choose correctly.
Live Betting Odds For The Stanley Cup
Live betting is an exciting way to wager in real-time. Most bets must be placed before the start of a match, and are finalized once the game is finished. Live betting gives bettors the flexibility to bet at any time while taking into account dynamic odds that change throughout the game.
NHL Futures Betting
The Stanley Cup are a key focus of NHL futures betting. There are a few particular NHL futures that are particularly popular:
Outright Winner
If you’re confident in which team will take home the Stanley Cup this season, you can check out betting on the outright winner. Keep in mind, this bet requires a lot of long-term foresight, as team performance, injuries, and trades can all impact the outcome.
Winner of Each Conference
Betting on conference winners is a fun way to diversify your betting and focus on which teams will make it to the Stanley Cup Finals. It allows you to back a strong contender without needing them to win it all, making it a less risky but still rewarding futures bet.
Winner of Each Division
At an even smaller scale, NHL bettors can wager on which teams will finish on top of their divisions by the end of the regular season. While this is not directly a Stanley Cup Playoffs bet, it could inform your other Stanley Cup bets if you believe certain teams will perform particularly well.
Which teams will meet in the Stanley Cup
Which two teams will make the Stanley Cup Final is the question one of the main questions on everyone’s minds throughout the NHL season. If you have a dream matchup that you think has a good chance of making it, you can use this kind of future bet to put your instincts to the test.
Stanley Cup Trends
- There has not been a dominant conference this century. Since 2000, Western Conference teams have won the Cup 13 times, and Eastern Conference teams have won 12 times.
- Since 2000, the Tampa Bay Lightning, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Chicago Blackhawks have each won three Cups. The Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils, and Los Angeles Kings have won two Cups, and the Carolina Hurricanes, Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, St. Louis Blues, and Las Vegas Golden Knights have won one Cup apiece this century.
- Over the past 12 seasons, four teams were first-time Cup winners. The Los Angeles Kings (2012), Washington Capitals (2018), St. Louis Blues (2019), Vegas Golden Knights (2023), and Florida Panthers (2024) all won their first Cup.
- The best team during the regular season rarely wins the Cup. The previous time the best team during the regular season won the Cup was 2012-13 when the Blackhawks did it.
- Lower seeds pull upsets in the postseason. The Kings are the only No. 8 seed to win the Cup (in 2012), but plenty of other low seeds advance to the Cup Final. Just two seasons ago, the Florida Panthers advanced to the Cup Final after earning the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. In 2017, the Nashville Predators advanced to the Cup final as the final wild card from the Western Conference.
Stanley Cup Odds History
Its important to look at how betting odds have changed in history and what trends might be similar to this year,
Stanley Cup 57 Line Moves
The end of the 2023-2024 season saw 57 line movements leading up to the Stanley Cup. This is a good example of how dynamic and volatile betting lines for the Stanley Cup Playoffs can be. Many things impact lines, including injuries, team performance, trades, coaching style, and more.
How have odds for previous Stanley Cup winners matched up with their performance?
Hockey is an incredibly dynamic sport, and tons of complex interactions can occur to change the trajectory of a team’s performance. The odds for Stanley Cup winners generally perform well for the top favourites, but keep in mind this is not always the case. For example, the Vegas Knights had +1800 preseason odds of taking the cup in 2023, and went on to win their first championship. Generally, the odds are more reflective closer to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Stanley Cup Odds for Local Teams
Stanley Cup FAQ
The Edmonton Oilers have the best odds to win the Stanley Cup at +650, according to DraftKings sportsbook. The Florida Panthers, Dallas Stars, and Carolina Hurricanes are tied for the next-best odds to win the championship at +800.
The Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup in 2024 in a 4-3 series win over the Edmonton Oilers. After going up 3-0, the Panthers lost three in a row before finally winning Game 7 and securing the franchise's first championship.
There are four rounds, each best-of-seven games. What does that mean? To win a series, a team has to win four games. The Stanley Cup Finals start in early June. While it is only a best of 7 series, with the off days, the Finals can last as long as two full weeks.
The Montreal Canadiens are the team that has been crowned Stanley Cup champions the most. The franchise has won the Cup 24 times.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have gone 56 years without winning the Stanley Cup. They last won it in 1967.
The Stanley Cup is named after the former Canadian governor-general, Frederick Arthur Stanley. From 1884-86, he had the moniker of "Lord Stanley of Preston" in the Canadian-British colonies, and in 1892 he bequeathed a trophy to the country's best amateur hockey club. In 1909, it was awarded to professional teams in Canada and, in 1909 as part of the new National Hockey League, it was formally named the Stanley Cup.
All the major sportsbooks have well-run sites to bet on the Stanley Cup Futures.
Author
The veteran team of Ontario sports betting and casino experts behind OntarioBets.com help you find the best Ontario sportsbooks and online casinos that are right for you.
