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- The NHL’s final four teams are set in the Eastern and Western Conferences
- The Colorado Avalanche are the betting favorite to take the title over the Carolina Hurricanes
- See the odds for all four teams heading into the Conference Finals and my best bet to lift Lord Stanley
Two rounds of the NHL Playoffs are in the books, and we’re down to just four squads – the Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, Vegas Golden Knights and Montreal Canadiens. The first two teams rolled their way through the first pair of rounds, while the latter two teams had to work much harder to make the respective Conference Finals.
The books have the Avalanche as the team to beat in the Stanley Cup odds, after winning eight of their first nine postseason affairs. They’re followed by the Hurricanes, who swept both the Senators and Flyers en route to their third Eastern Conference Final appearance in the last four years. Keep reading for the odds to win Lord Stanley, along with my selection to win it all.
Updated 2026 Stanley Cup Odds
Odds as of May 19. Get a BetMGM promo code to bet on the NHL Playoffs.
Colorado, who won the Stanley Cup in 2022, won the Presidents’ Trophy this year as the top team in the regular season, picking up 121 points, the only team in the league to cross that threshold.
Carolina, who last won the Stanley Cup in 2006, is the +175 top choice in the NHL odds to win from the East. However, they haven’t made the Cup Final since 2006, despite making the Conference Final on four other occasions.
Vegas, who took down Utah and Anaheim in six games each, is the third selection. Canada’s only hope to end their Cup drought lands in the hands of the Canadiens, who, coincidentally, were the last team up north to win the Cup in 1993.
2026 Stanley Cup Champion Prediction
- Pick: Montreal Canadiens (+700 at FanDuel)
Betslip #1779206229786-b783-324
I’m going out on a limb and selecting the longest shot on the board to win it all, and that’s the Montreal Canadiens. They’ve been battle tested, having been taken the distance vs Tampa Bay and Buffalo in the first two rounds, and obviously won both in 7 games. The Habs are the youngest roster to make the Conference Finals since Montreal, way back in 1993, when Canada last won a Stanley Cup.
I’m banking on the Hurricanes ghosts of seasons past to rear their ugly head, despite them sweeping their way to the East Final. Carolina has lost four straight in this round, and have been ghastly, sporting a woeful 1-16 record in those contests.
Additionally, Montreal has won all three meetings this season, and five of six vs the Canes. It’s a classic rest vs rust debate, as they won’t have played a game for nearly two weeks, which I believe will be a hindrance.
Since 2000, teams coming off a 7-game series hold a dominant 7-1 record against squads that swept the previous round. Of course, the Habs will need to then win against either Colorado or Vegas, who I’m picking to go at least six games and perhaps batter and bruise each other to get to the Stanley Cup Final.
2026 Stanley Cup Best Bet
Colorado is the top choice to win their second Cup since 2022, and rightfully so, having swept the Kings in the first round and dispatched the Wild in 5 games in the second stage. They also won the Presidents’ Trophy as best regular season team, amassing 121 points.
However, being the best team before the postseason doesn’t always correlate to success in the playoffs – since the Blackhawks won in 2012-13, no Presidents’ Trophy winner has captured the Cup that same season.
The Avs are tops in the playoffs in goal scoring (4.11 GF/GP), and second best in goal prevention, of the remaining teams (2.56 GA/GP, behind Carolina). There’s a good reason why the books have installed them as the top selection to skate away with another Stanley Cup, but I’m not touching them with virtually no value in wagering on the favorites.