NHL FUTURES BETTING ODDS: 2024 STANLEY CUP AND MORE

Placing a futures bet is a great way to establish an interest in professional sports throughout the entire season, and the NHL provides bettors with a full menu of options – for both teams and players – that can enhance your excitement and your bankroll.

Lines.com is here to help you navigate all the selections and make the best betting choices for your NHL futures wagering. Explore our NHL predictions for insight on future bets. We also have the latest NHL odds and expert NHL prop picks.

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ODDS TO WIN 2024 NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS

The most popular 2024 NHL Futures betting odds offered are on the team to win the Stanley Cup, with Lord Stanley considered the hardest trophy to win in professional sports.

The Vegas Golden Knights won their first Cup last year, and as the defending champs, are among the favorites to win it again in the 2023-24 season. But there are plenty of other challengers to the throne worthy of a bet, ranging from familiar recent champions like the Colorado Avalanche to teams that haven’t won the trophy in quite some time, like the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers.

Here is a look a the last 10 Stanley Cup champions:

NHL CONFERENCE WINNERS 

Like the NFL and NBA, the teams that emerge from the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference in the NHL would meet in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. Since the NHL switched back to setting the playoff field by conference – but implementing a new wild card seeding system – the competition for those prestigious 16 spots (eight in each conference) has been wide open, providing plenty of opportunities for big futures bet payouts from a longshot team. We track the latest odds to win the Eastern Conference and take down the Western Conference. 

Last season, the Florida Panthers were the bottom seed in the NHL Eastern Conference, but the upstarts eliminated the record-setting Boston Bruins, the highly-regarded Toronto Maple Leafs and the red-hot Carolina Hurricanes on their way to earning the Prince of Wales Trophy.

Our NHL Power Rankings can help you keep up with the leaders in each conference. It's also important to keep an eye on the NHL injury report, as the absences of important players can be a big factor.

NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE 

In the past decade, it has become somewhat common for a team to play in the Eastern Conference Final one year then make it back there again the next season, so make sure that is a consideration when looking at these odds. There have been several repeat winners, including the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are also the last team to repeat as Stanley Cup champions (2020 and 2021).

(Note: The 2020-21 NHL season was not divided by conferences due to the pandemic.)

Here is a look a the last 10 NHL Eastern Conference champions:

The last two teams to join the NHL – the Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken – have proven to be very competitive in the Western Conference since arriving in the past few years. Teams on this side of the league, such as the 2022 Cup champion Colorado Avalanche, have built a strong tradition in a short amount of time competing for the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl.

One of the West teams with the most successful history – the Edmonton Oilers – is expected to be on the verge of a return to glory led by superstar Connor McDavid and former league scoring leader Leon Draisaitl.

Here is a look a the last 10 NHL Western Conference champions:

DIVISION WINNERS

ATLANTIC DIVISION

The Atlantic Division is the most tradition-rich, as it includes four of the teams from the Original Six, the half-dozen clubs that were part of the league at its inception in 1917.

The Boston Bruins established an NHL record with 65 victories while winning the Atlantic for the 2022-23 season, but will continue to face stiff competition from the Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs as well as younger franchises including the Buffalo Sabres, Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning.

Here is a look a the last 10 NHL Atlantic Division champions:

METROPOLITAN DIVISION

The Metropolitan Division is home to some of the greatest rivalries in hockey and some of its greatest players of all time, including Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, who dominated at the end of the last decade.

The aptly-named division also includes the cross-river rivals the New York Rangers, New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils, as well as the Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Flyers.

Here is a look a the last 10 NHL Metropolitan Division champions:

CENTRAL DIVISION

The Central Division is home to some of the newer markets in the league, and those new NHL fans have displayed great support and pushed their teams to on-ice success. Once home to the dominant Detroit Red Wings, the Chicago Blackhawks took over division supremacy and were winning Stanley Cups after realignment, but have since fallen on hard times.

The division that spans from Canada all the way south to the American Southwest also includes the Arizona Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets.

Here is a look a the last 10 NHL Central Division champions:

PACIFIC DIVISION

The Pacific Division is made up of the western-most teams in the league with a trio of California clubs – the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks – bringing heated rivalries and on-ice success into the mix.

It also includes bitter rivals from the Canadian province of Alberta, with the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames always ready for a battle. They are joined by the new Northwest combatants – the recent expansion team Seattle Kraken and Vancouver Canucks – and led by the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights.

Here is a look a the last 10 NHL Pacific Division champions:

BET ON NHL FUTURES

In addition to the NHL futures betting odds to win the Stanley Cup, the Eastern and Western Conference winners, and the ultimate Division winners, there are plenty of other team-related wagers that are offered by the top sportsbooks, such as DraftKings and FanDuel. Make sure to choose the best sportsbook to get the most out of your experience. 

Other wagers can include the teams with the best chance to make the playoffs, standing points total accumulation, and at the other end of the spectrum, who the worst teams might be.

But futures markets aren’t limited to team performance, and many sportsbooks offer worthwhile futures odds for individual players, such as goals scored, points scored and games won by a goalie.

We'll keep you up to date on the best NHL odds and also track the consensus trends. 

POPULAR NHL FUTURES FOR 2023-24 NHL SEASON

Some of the most popular NHL future bets are for the award winners. Like any other futures bet, oddsmakers design them to keep your interest for the entire season in a different way than just raw statistics and numbers, while also providing the opportunity for a big payout. 

Those awards are:

• Hart Memorial Trophy: Given to the Most Valuable Player in the NHL, usually won by one of the highest-scoring skaters, most likely a forward. In 2023, that was Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers.
• Vezina Trophy: Given to the top goalie. It can be based primarily on wins but also takes into account other important stats such as goals-against average and save percentage.
• Calder Memorial Trophy: Given to the player considered the Rookie of the Year. It is rare for an NHL player to come out of nowhere to capture this award, as it often goes to a much-heralded prospect who was a very high draft pick.
• James Norris Memorial Trophy: Given to the player recognized as the best defenseman in the league, though it isn’t solely an award based on defense. In fact, it usually is awarded to one of the highest-scoring players at the position who also happens to have at least some success at preventing goals.
• Jack Adams Award: Given to the Coach of the Year, which can be someone who leads his team to a dominant season or someone who guides his club to a surprising, unexpected finish that greatly exceeds expectations.

All of these options are another great way to enhance your NHL sports betting experience. Don’t forget to rely on Lines.com to help you figure it out from the first puck drop through the hoisting of the Cup. Check out our NHL betting guide if you have any questions or want to pick up some strategy tips.

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