How to Bet on the Stanley Cup Finals
When the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs reach their conclusion, it comes down to two teams squaring off for the top prize. After winning 12 games through the first three rounds, a final best-of-seven series determines the champion of that particular professional hockey season. We’ll show you the ways in which you can bet on the Stanley Cup Final.
Game-By-Game Betting
If you’re betting on individual games, the payouts will work the same as during the regular season. For example, if the Tampa Bay Lightning win Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals by a score of 5-3 and you bet $130 on the Bolts (with a -130 moneyline), then you will receive $100 in profit.
Series Betting
With Stanley Cup series betting, you can wager on which team wins each series outright, or you can wager on NHL futures odds. With series betting, you can pounce on the odds at the start of the series or you can jump on the odds halfway through the series. That way, if things aren’t going so well, you can hedge your hockey bet.
Let’s say you wager $100 on the Toronto Maple Leafs to win the Stanley Cup after they’ve secured a 2-0 series lead against the Boston Bruins in the semifinals, you might get the Buds at +200 betting odds. But if the Black and Yellow go on to win the Cup in a 4-2 series, you lose your $100.
If you’re seeking additional information on how to bet on NHL games, puck lines NHL bets, or if it’s exact matchup odds you want, check out our Stanley Cup Final Exact Matchup Odds for which teams are most likely to meet in the Stanley Cup Finals.
History of Stanley Cup Final Betting
For a glimpse at how Eastern Conference teams have fared compared to Western Conference teams, our Lord Stanley history table dates all the way back to 1927. And no, Montreal Maroons is not a typo.
Stanley Cup Final Betting History
Who are the Biggest Underdogs to Win the Stanley Cup?
In 2012, the Los Angeles Kings entered the NHL playoffs as an eighth seed and were 20-1 to hoist their first trophy in 44 years. L.A. caught fire with a remarkable 10-1 road record, tying an NHL best for the most road wins in a single postseason. And while the Kings won 16 of their 20 playoff games, they did so by outscoring their opponents 57-30.
In 1995, the New Jersey Devils were a fifth seed heading into the playoffs. The team struggled throughout the shortened 48-game NHL season due to a lockout, and the Detroit Red Wings looked like an unstoppable force with few media members predicting Jersey to win. But Martin Brodeur’s Devils did the unlikely, and swept Motor city 4-0.
In 1986 and with a roster full of rookies, including star goaltender Patrick Roy and forward Claude Lemieux, the Montreal Canadiens stunned the hockey world when they beat the Calgary Flames 4-1 in the Stanley Cup finals.
What Team has the Most Stanley Cups?
If it wasn't already obvious in the table above, the Montreal Canadiens have won the Stanley Cup more than any other NHL organization:
Stanley Cup Final Betting Trends
There have only been seven different Stanley Cup winners in the past 11 years with the Chicago Blackhawks winning three times, and the Pittsburgh Penguins and Los Angeles Kings each winning twice. Since the canceled season in 2004-2005, there have been 10 different teams raise Lord Stanley. Of those 10 teams, only the Carolina Hurricanes (2005-2006) and St. Louis Blues (2018-2019) have won after missing out on the playoffs the prior season.