It's an absolute blockbuster in the Stanley Cup Finals, which begin on June 15. On one side, you have the two-time reigning Stanley Cup champions, Tampa Bay. On the other, you have the team that's arguably been the best in the regular season for the past two seasons, Colorado. We have a complete betting guide to the 2022 Stanley Cup right here, including our three favorite bets of the whole series! Keep reading for expert advice on not just betting on this title matchup, but winning at it!
2022 Stanley Cup: Series Price Pick
Let's get right into the biggest burning question on the mind of bettors, who the heck is winning the Stanley Cup? We'll have our 2022 Cup series pick shortly, but first, let's take a gander at the current betting odds, as set by the top betting sites for NHL. Here's where the odds stand:
As you can see, the Avalanche are the odds-on favorites to win the championship. And it's not hard for one to assess why that is. For one, this team is absolutely loaded — especially on offense, where they might boast more talent than the Lightning, as crazy as that seems. Whereas Tampa had to gut out a berth in this Stanley Cup, Colorado swept its opponents and will enter Game 1 with eight days of full rest. And for the first time in three years, the Lightning is legit running into the West's best team, not one that got hot at the right time (sorry, Dallas and Montreal fans, but it's true).
But despite this, there's something in us that isn't quite sold on the Avs quite yet. Yes, they've steamrolled teams to get to this point (they're 12-2 in the postseason), but it's been a light road compared to the Lightning (who dispatched two legit title-contending teams in the first two rounds; Toronto and Florida). More than anything else, Colorado will finally face not just an elite goaltender, but perhaps the best in the whole league.
Of course, we're talking about the Lightning's Andrei Vasilevskiy. Behind the goaltender (and stout defense), Tampa is allowing only 2.41 goals per game this postseason. He's found an extra gear as the playoffs have worn on, and he's going to have to find another against an Avalanche side that led the NHL in regular-season scoring at 3.76 goals per game. It's a true elite defense vs. elite offense clash, but we're ones that always prefer defense — not just in hockey, but in any sport. "Defense wins championships", as the old (and mostly accurate) saying goes.
So yes, we're backing Tampa to become the first NHL team since 1983 to string together three straight Stanley Cup titles. It takes an uncanny amount of guts to be in this position — not just from the past two title seasons, but the tough road they've faced this playoff run. It's truly astonishing, which fuels this bet despite Colorado's clear talent and rest advantage.
2022 Stanley Cup: Exact Series Outcome
Now that we've picked the Lightning to win outright, our betting interest has shifted into HOW they do so — as an exact Stanley Cup series outcome prediction. Below is not only Tampa's options to win but also the Avs in case you're not sold on series pick rationale:
| Outcome |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Lightning 4-0 | +2000 | +2000 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 | +1000 | +1000 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2 | +550 | +550 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 | +600 | +600 |
| Colorado Avalanche 4-0 | +850 | +850 |
| Colorado Avalanche 4-1 | +400 | +400 |
| Colorado Avalanche 4-2 | +350 | +350 |
| Colorado Avalanche 4-3 | +375 | +375 |
As we've pointed out, we're fully aware of how good this Colorado team is. We mean, it's not their fault the Western Conference was a calk walk compared to the East. And as we eluded to earlier, the Avalanche is the best team that Tampa has faced in the championship yet. Therefore, this series is either going six or seven games, no doubt about it.
It's far from an easy decision, but we have the Lightning taking it 4-2. Not seven because we're not sure the Avalanche has the mental fortitude to push it that far out. Yes, they've gotten "over the hump" this playoff stretch after several faceplants before, but the Stanley Cup playoffs are an entirely different tier of pressure. We're not saying they can't climb this last mountain, but hey, we're just not sure.
Tampa, though, they've proven themselves time and time again. When the going gets tough, the Lightning step up the most — which is enough of an edge necessary to end this series before it gets a Game 7, which would be in Denver if necessary.
2022 Stanley Cup: Top Goalscorer
Here's another fun Stanley Cup prop bet centered on which player ends this series with the most goals scored. Here are the favored betting options at popular online sportsbooks:
| Player | | |
|---|---|---|
| Mikko Rantanen | +600 | +600 |
| Nathan MacKinnon | +600 | +600 |
| Steven Stamkos | +700 | +700 |
| Nikita Kucherov | +700 | +700 |
| Gabriel Landeskog | +900 | +900 |
| Brayden Point | +900 | +900 |
| Nazem Kadri | +1400 | +1400 |
We're ruling out Avalanche players automatically based on what we've already said about Vasilevskiy. Yes, he's THAT great. So that brings our betting selection down to Lightning players.
There's many worthy picks, but if we had to choose only one, it would be Nikita Kucherov. Per usual, he's been electric during this Stanley Cup playoffs. He's up to 23 points (seven goals, 16 assists) so far and that best is yet to come. Like he always does, he'll elevate his game once more, which could vault him as the series top goal-scorer.
How To Bet On 2022 Stanley Cup?
While we love the three 2022 Stanley Cup bets mentioned above, there's plenty more value left on the table. If you want a full list of series bets — plus on individual games — check out one of the trusted betting sites below. This is your last chance to bet on the NHL until October so don't let it pass, especially with so many opportunities in the Stanley Cup!
