The race for the Stanley Cup is the major highlight of any season, and an NHL bet on the eventual champions is one of the most popular ice hockey wagers there is. The intensity ramps up in the NHL Playoffs, as the action is faster and more furious than regular-season matches. It's an action-packed time of the campaign, and it's also when new markets for NHL odds arrive on the scene.
History of the NHL Playoffs
Professional hockey teams were first permitted to compete for the Stanley Cup in 1906, having first been commissioned for amateur clubs in 1892.
Only twice in NHL Stanley Cup playoff history has a Canadian team failed to reach the postseason. As of 2023, the title drought for Canadian teams had reached three decades since the Montreal Canadiens lifted the trophy in 1993.
The Montreal Canadiens are the all-time leaders in Stanley Cup Playoff appearances and the only team to have won over 20 Stanley Cup titles. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings are the only other two NHL franchises to have reached double figures.
The biggest individual honour during the playoffs is the Conn Smythe Trophy, the MVP Award for the NHL postseason. It's a popular bet on NHL for hockey odds and stands alongside other NHL awards like the Calder Memorial Trophy for the top rookie.
NHL Betting Markets
Come the postseason, new NHL odds appear for the outcome of each series. These ice hockey betting markets are options for forecasting exactly how an NHL playoff series will end. The most popular NHL winning bet option for a series is the straightforward 'To Win Series' option.
An alternative 4-0 option in the 'Series Correct Score' market would predict a blowout, while Over 5.5 in the 'Series Total Games' would be forecasting a tight contest. There are plenty of other options to bet on NHL, too, such as:
- Winning Division
- Series Total Games
- Series Total Games Over/Under
- Series Correct Score
NHL winning bet options for playoff odds don't stop there. Regular bet NHL markets are still in force, from the 'Match Result' market to the 'First Goalscorer' and 'Total Goals' per game. There are also NHL odds on prop bets for team and player performances, like the number of shots on target. Also, several market options can be pulled together in the same-game wager for NHL betting.
NHL Betting Tips
Form is the most important factor to look for when trying to select an NHL winning bet in the playoffs. A team that lost five of its last seven regular-season matches could struggle to get its groove back in the tougher playoff arena, whereas a team that put on a four-match winning streak to secure playoff hockey would have great momentum.
Another key factor in NHL playoff betting is analysing teams' performance in the last few years. For example, a team that has reached the Conference Finals in three of the last four seasons indicates a big force and potentially better value than a first-time playoff team.
Currently, no wild card team has ever won the Stanley Cup, so outsiders in the NHL winning bet options for the Stanley Cup genuinely have it tough. Unsurprisingly, the most successful seed in the first round has been the number one seed.
The NHL playoff odds will be available at the same time as Ice Hockey World Championship odds but they don't impact playoff betting. Players only go to the World Championship once their NHL season is over.
NHL 2025/26 Season Schedule
This year marks the 108th season of play or the 109th season of the NHL's operation. The regular season will begin on 7 October 2025, the last of the 82-game schedule, which is subject to change to 84 games in the 2026/27 season.
In February, there'll be a mid-season break because the NHL will participate in the 2026 Winter Olympics, to be held in Italy. The 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs will be held from April to June.
For the international games to bet on ice hockey, the Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, will host the face-off between the Nashville Predators and the Pittsburgh Penguins on 14 and 16 November 2025.
There will also be two outdoor games in the season, to be held in Florida. The 2026 Winter Classic, featuring the hosts, the Florida Panthers and the New York Rangers, will take place at LoanDepot Park in Miami on 2 January 2026.
The 2026 Stadium Series at LoanDepot Park in Miami, featuring the hosts, the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Boston Bruins, is scheduled for 2 January 2026.
NHL 2025 Season Upcoming Highlighted Changes
Several changes have occurred during the off-season as we await the team's actions, including:
- On 1 September 2025, the Philadelphia Flyers' home ground, the Wells Fargo Centre, will be renamed the Xfinity Mobile Arena.
- On 3 September 2025, the Minnesota Wild will change its stadium from Xcel Energy Centre to Grand Casino Arena.
- This is the Buffalo Sabres' last year on KeyBank Centre's original 30-year lease.
- On 28 June 2025, Bruno Idžan became the first Croatian to be selected in the NHL by the Ottawa Senators.
NHL Playoff Odds 2025
The reigning champions are the Florida Panthers, who are back in the playoffs as a wildcard. Check out all current NHL Playoff odds for 2025 at Betsafe, starting with betting on the NHL Playoffs first round.
NHL Playoff Format
Qualified teams are split into separate brackets based on conference and division and organised by seeding. All match-ups are best-of-seven series, with the Western and Eastern Conference champions meeting in the Stanley Cup Finals.
The Stanley Cup playoffs have four rounds of the best-of-seven series. Each of these series is played under a 2–2–1–1–1 format. Ideally, the home-ice advantage team hosts the first, second, fifth, and seventh games.
On the other hand, their opponent will host the third, fourth, and sixth games. However, bettors who do pre-game betting will have to wait, as the fifth, sixth, and seventh games are only played when necessary.
Only eight teams in each conference will qualify for the playoffs. According to the playoff series format launched in 2014, the top three ranking teams in each of the four divisions automatically qualify for the playoffs.
Two more teams with the highest point totals of all the other teams, regardless of divisional alignment, qualify for the playoffs with wild cards.
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