Stanley Cup Odds

The Stanley Cup is the formidable trophy given to the winner of the National Hockey League at the conclusion of professional hockey's equivalent of the World Series, the Stanley Cup Finals. NHL sports gamblers bet on the likely winner of the Finals throughout the year, first by dipping into the Stanley Cup Finals betting futures markets (before the season actually gets underway) and then by wagering on the Stanley Cup odds which update during the regular season.

The teams at the top of the betting board for the Stanley Cup odds will largely be determined by previous form as well as historical tendencies to perform well in the league. There are "public" betting teams that always find extra support from casual NHL wagering fans. A team like the Detroit Red Wings will, therefore, be found at shorter odds because they are so heavily supported by the public. In recent years the Pittsburgh Penguins would also qualify as a public favorite to bet on, due largely to the fact that they have Sydney Crosby on their roster.

Previous Stanley Cup Winners

The Red Wings lifted the Stanley Cup in 2008, and the Penguins were Stanley Cup Finals winners in 2009. In the 2008 finals the Red Wings beat the Penguins, while in 2009 the Penguins beat the Red Wings. Both years were meltdowns for the bookies, as one can well imagine. Last season the sports books obtained some respite from NHL bettors as the less-fashionable Blackhawks won their first Stanley Cup since 1992 by beating another team with an epic NHL pedigree in the form of the Philadelphia Flyers.

Our advice when considering the Stanley Cup betting odds is to look at the teams with the best defense and not simply the most glamorous starting lineups. NHL betting has waned in popularity in the 21st century, especially in the USA, as TV coverage has dissipated, but that doesn't mean there isn't good betting value here. In fact NHL handicappers can make an excellent living betting on Ice Hockey precisely because of this lack of attention. Check the latest Stanley Cup Finals odds regularly and you could be rewarded with a big price on a very solid team - next year's version of the Blackhawks, for instance.