Stanley Cup Odds, Predictions, Betting Picks 2026: Avalanche and Lightning Remain the Favorites

The Stanley Cup is the culmination of the National Hockey League (NHL) season, served as an grueling elimination tournament to crown the league's top team. The process begins with the Stanley Cup playoffs, where 16 teams - the top eight from both the Eastern and Western Conferences - compete in four rounds of best-of-seven series.

To win the title, a team must secure 16 postseason victories, finishing with the Stanley Cup Final, which pits the two conference champions against one another.

Let's take a closer look at the latest odds for this season.

Stanley Cup Winner Odds

Odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook. Use our promo code WSNSPORTS to join BetMGM and claim the following welcome offer: Get Up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets*.

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Rest of the teams listed at +3000 odds and higher.

NHL Stanley Cup Winner - My Pick

Colorado Avalanche (+300) at BetMGM

The Colorado Avalanche are a premier championship candidate as they possess the league’s most lethal combination of elite top-tier talent and revamped roster depth. Led by Nathan MacKinnon, who currently leads the NHL in scoring, and Cale Makar, arguably the world’s best defenseman, Colorado boasts a high-octane offense that ranks first in goals per game. Recent strategic acquisitions, including the return of veteran Nazem Kadri and the emergence of Martin Necas, have fortified their secondary scoring and power play.

Furthermore, the duo of Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood has stabilized their goaltending, leading the league in goals-against average. With a league-best goal differential and the top spot in the Western Conference, the Avalanche are built to dominate the postseason.

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How to Bet on the NHL Stanley Cup Winner

With the quality of the opponent as high as it will be, it’s vital to back a team who plays in low-variance contests and excels on both sides of the ice. Two metrics to look at to help indicate how well they play are Expected Goals For and Expected Goals Against in All Situations. This shows how well a team generates high-quality Shots on Goal as well as how consistent they are at defending against them.

Another metric to factor in is a team’s goalie play. By backing a team with a solid starting goalie, this helps limit the amount of variance in their contests even more. Two metrics to consider when looking at a goaltender are their marks in average Goals Against per game and in Save Percentage.

How to Read NHL Stanley Cup Winner Odds

Before you place a wager on a team to win the Stanley Cup, it’s important to know how the listed odds work. If you back the Florida Panthers at their preseason odds of +750, then a $100 wager would profit you $750 if they win their third straight Stanley Cup.

If you wait to see if they make it to the finals and are listed with a minus sign in front of their odds (-125 for example), then you would need to wager $125 to profit $100. Make sure you line shop by having access to multiple apps as the odds for the same market can drastically vary between each sportsbook.

Where to Bet on the NHL Stanley Cup Winner

BetMGM Sportsbook has been one of the top choices for the Stanley Cup winner market as they normally beat out the rest of the apps in regard to their listed odds. If you have not signed up yet with BetMGM Sportsbook and are looking to get in on the action, you can do so with our promo code WSNSPORTS and claim the following welcome offer: Get Up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets*.

FanDuel Sportsbook is another great option to use as they offer a wide range of markets and their listed odds rival BetMGM. FanDuel is also offering a sign up bonus as new users can claim: Up to $3,000 in Bonus Bets. Unlike BetMGM, no promo code is required. New users just need to create an account and win their first bet of at least $5.

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NHL Stanley Cup Winner History

After winning the Stanley Cup last season, the Panthers now have the opportunity to be the first team to win it three straight years since the New York Islanders pulled it off in 1980-1983. Only two other teams have been able to accomplish this feat with the Montreal Canadiens winning it all in 1956-60 and the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1947-1949 and in 1962-1964.

As for Montreal, the Canadiens lead the league in total number of championships by a wide margin as they have won the Stanley Cup 24 times. The Toronto Maple Leafs are in second with 13 while the Detroit Red Wings are in third with 11.