Can you believe it? The NHL Stanley Cup playoffs are days away from starting on May 2. Have you placed bets on which team will win the 2022 Stanley Cup? Yes? No? Maybe? Well, you’ll want to read to this because we have expert betting advice on what wagers to make RIGHT NOW!
But before we get too ahead of ourselves, let’s take a gander at the current odds to win the 2022 Stanley Cup. The teams listed below are currently the favorites at the most popular sportsbooks for NHL betting:
| Team |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado Avalanche | +350 | +350 |
| Florida Panthers | +550 | +550 |
| Calgary Flames | +900 | +900 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | +1100 | +1100 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | +1100 | +1100 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | +1200 | +1200 |
| New York Rangers | +1200 | +1200 |
| Boston Bruins | +1600 | +1600 |
2022 NHL Stanley Cup Betting Picks
There’s really no debating it: the NHL playoffs are simply the most unpredictable postseason among American sports. Since 1993, the eighth seed has defeated the one seed on 10 different occasions! For bettors, this unpredictability means you almost have to make multiple 2022 NHL Stanley Cup betting picks. Two bets is reasonable but maybe even three if the odds line up correctly.
Below we’ve listed our three most confident betting picks (in order of confidence level). The NHL playoff field is filled with bet-worthy teams, but the ones below are the most deserving. Here’s who and why:
Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche possesses the best record out west. As you’d expect with that distinction, they’re an incredibly well-balanced team. Currently, they rank second in goals per game, seventh in goals against per game, and third in overall goal difference. That’s all fine and dandy but there’s one major reason why Colorado is our most confident betting pick to raise the Cup: they have a “manageable” road to the Finals.
As we said, the NHL playoffs are notoriously unpredictable, but still, the West is abnormally mediocre this year. Outside of Colorado or Calgary, no West team makes up the top-8 betting favorites to win out. Therefore, there’s less of a likelihood that the Avs get tripped up early on (though, it’s far from a guarantee). And believe us, just surviving enough to make it to the Stanley Cup is half the battle when it comes to futures bets like these.
One more thing to note about Colorado, this team is finally healthy (or as much as you’ll be this late in the season). Despite having the second-best win mark in the league, the Avalanche have been littered with injuries. Key players such as Bowen Byram, Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon, Samuel Girard, Devon Toews, and Nazem Kadri have all missed double-digit games this year. Most of the players are back or close to it, sans Landeskog, who is the big variable. Landeskog leads the team with 30 goals this season, but there’s no timetable on a potential return.
Regardless, we’re betting on Colorado to win out. A healthy Landeskog makes this bet even better, but as they’ve proven all season long, the Avalanche can win in spite of injuries.
Florida Panthers
Wire to wire, there hasn’t been a better team in the entire NHL than the Panthers. They’re up to 57 wins and should take the Presidents' Trophy this season. Florida leads the league in both goal average and goal-differential. They’re the real deal.
But here’s what we absolutely love about betting the Panthers here: they are scorching hot right now. Florida barely won 13 straight games — a franchise record (and only the 10th team in NHL history to have a streak as long). The Panthers aren’t just winning either, they’re bulldozing opponents. During this winning stretch, Florida outscored the opposition 64-33 while averaging 40.7 shots per game. Talk about firing on all cylinders, eh?
The only reason we’re not more confident in the Panthers than the Avalanche is because of the stacked Eastern Conference. There will be no “gimme wins” for Florida on its road to the Stanley Cup. We believe they’re great enough to persevere, but hey, it’s playoff hockey and you just never know.
Tampa Bay Lightning
You can never count out a champion until it’s all said and done — which goes perfectly for the Lightning, the two-time reigning Stanley Cup champions. This team could be complacent after all that success, but they largely haven’t. They are currently 48-22-8 and in third place in the Atlantic division (which is already locked up by in-state rival Panthers).
On paper, few teams still rival Tampa's talent, especially on the offensive side. This team possesses five different players with at least 20 goals this season — Victor Hedman, Alex Killorn, Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, and Steven Stamkos. The Lightning just has so many players that can beat you, that you want to throw a bet their way cause of it.
And remember that 13-game win streak we mentioned about Florida? Welp, Tampa just ended it with an 8-4 win. These two teams split the season series two games apiece. They are very much equal on the ice, which is why we’re vouching to bet both sides and let the better team win come postseason time.
How To Bet On 2022 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs?
This is the final week of the NHL regular season. Use this time (when many teams are sitting players) to start game planning to bet on the 2022 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. Once you’re ready, you’ll want to check out one of the popular betting sites below to actually place wagers. They’ll have every NHL playoff line you can think of from now until a champion is decided.
There are a lot of betting opportunities in the playoffs and if you need free play to “juice” your bankroll then check out one of the lucrative sportsbook bonuses being offered right now. Glance at the table below and you’ll see deals that can reach as much as $2500 in free play. Now just think of all the NHL bets you could make with that sum of free play? Yeah, that’s a lot so don’t pass up the opportunity.
