The NHL Stanley Cup is arguably the most prestigious trophy in all of sports. With a history dating back more than 130 years, competition to garner the silver chalice is among the most spirited in professional sports.

The excitement generated by the Quest for the Cup provides an excellent wagering opportunity for savvy sports bettors that can keep them interested throughout the grueling NHL regular season.

Using the latest Stanley Cup odds from the top hockey sportsbooks, you can bet on the winner of the 2024 Stanley Cup using the best NHL betting lines. Lines.com is always here to guide you along the way with top picks.

Stanley Cup Odds and Best Bets

Understanding NHL history is essential to making an intelligent futures bet on the Stanley Cup.

Teams that win the Cup usually have a very good chance of doing so again. In fact, there have been several repeat champions in recent years. That is why the 2023 Stanley Cup champion – the Vegas Golden Knights – remain among the NHL betting favorites to win the trophy again in 2024, as do the 2022 Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche.

The Tampa Bay Lightning, who won the Cup back-to-back in 2020 and 2021, are not quite the team they once were but are still a threat to regain their former glory. The Pittsburgh Penguins still retain some of the best players from their Cup championship teams of 2016 and 2017 all these years later.

No one has won three consecutive Stanley Cups since the New York Islanders won four in a row from 1980-83.

It is very rare for a team with long odds to come out of nowhere and win the Cup, mainly because it is so difficult for any team to win the 16 playoff games necessary. It almost did happen last season, when the underdog Florida Panthers advanced all the way to the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals before finally being defeated by the Vegas Golden Knights. The Los Angeles Kings also were long shots when winning the Cup in 2012 and 2014. So if you find yourself looking for higher 2024 NHL Stanley Cup odds and a bigger payout, that opportunity should not be ruled out.

2024 Odds to Win the Stanley Cup 

Heading toward the month of December, there are many familiar names atop the future odds to win the 2024 Stanley Cup.

The Colorado Avalanche remain the favorites at most of the best sportsbooks, with updated Stanley Cup odds in the +800 range (bet $100 to win $800). The Vegas Golden Knights also are given strong odds after winning the Cup in 2023, with odds as low as +700 at one sportsbook and ranging as high as +1300.

Two teams off to significantly different season starts also remain in play. The Boston Bruins set an NHL record with 65 regular season victories last season before being upset by the Florida Panthers in the first round of the playoffs. Boston got off to a stellar start again to the 2023-24 season but can be had at odds as high as +1500 to eventually win the championship.

The Edmonton Oilers will always be considered a Stanley Cup favorite as long as superstar Connor McDavid is playing for them. But after a dismal way to start the season, their odds to capture the championship have gotten higher, up to +1100.

Some very good teams with higher current odds of winning that have an excellent chance to compete for the Cup include the Dallas Stars and New York Rangers. After breakthrough playoff performances the previous season, the New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes can’t be ruled out.

Past Stanley Cup Winners

There have been 26 teams that have been a Stanley Cup winner – 21 remain in existence and are still playing in the NHL today. That means there are 11 teams currently in the league that have not yet gotten the opportunity to hoist Lord Stanley.

Winning the Stanley Cup comes with its own unique traditions specific to the sport of hockey.

After being presented with the Cup in an on-ice ceremony, the winning team captain will lift it over his head. It then gets passed from teammate to teammate, who each get a turn skating it around the rink in front of adoring and delirious fans.

Then, later in the summer, each player from the winning team gets his own day with the Cup. It’s often a time to share the occasion with family and friends in the towns where they grew up and developed an enduring love of the game.

Teams with the Most Stanley Cups 

The Montreal Canadiens have won the Stanley Cup 24 times, which for many years stood as the record for most championships won by one team in the four major North American sports (it has since been surpassed by the New York Yankees and their 27 World Series championships in Major League Baseball).

Though the Canadiens have not skated with the Cup since winning it in 1993, they still hold a considerable lead over the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings, who have won the prize 13 times and 11 times, respectively.

Other teams that have won the Stanley Cup multiple times include the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks with six each, and the five-time champion Pittsburgh Penguins and Edmonton Oilers.

The New York City metropolitan area is home to the New York Islanders and New York Rangers, who have won the Cup four times each, and the three-time champion New Jersey Devils.

The Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning also have won the trophy three times apiece. The Vegas Golden Knights won their first Stanley Cup in 2023.

Here’s a look at the current NHL teams with multiple Stanley Cup championships:

Most Unbreakable NHL Records

Stanley Cup Betting: How to Bet on the Stanley Cup 

Betting on a team to win the Stanley Cup is a great way to keep an interested eye on the NHL action all throughout the season. Lines.com will provide access to the best information and guidance from the first puck drop through the final horn.

Best NHL Fighters

How to Read Stanley Cup Odds

Odds to win the Stanley Cup are read in the same way as any other futures odds board.

Some sportsbooks will present them as numerical odds. For example, the New York Rangers could be listed at 14-1 to win the 2024 NHL championship. That means that for every $1 wager, a winning bettor would get $14 back in return.

Others may list the wager as a plus line. For example, the Edmonton Oilers could be listed at +1100 to win the 2024 Stanley Cup. That means making a futures wager for $100, a winning bettor would get back $1100 in return.

(Of course, a bettor can wager any amount they feel comfortable with and the payout would be figured accordingly).

Best NHL Betting Sites

All major sportsbooks provide a full menu of NHL bets, ranging from game lines to props to future bets such as to win the 20224 Stanley Cup.

At Lines.com, we are partnered with most of the nation’s leading sportsbooks, including odds at FanDuel, DraftKings, bet365, BetMGM, WynnBet, Caesars, PointsBet, and more, and you can always find the best odds available from their offerings in our dynamic dashboard.

NHL Futures Odds: Conference Champions

It is important to remember that in order to go on to win the Stanley Cup, a team obviously has to make the NHL playoffs first, and early-season performance is often an indicator of who will comprise the full 16-team field.

Historically, any team that is in a playoff position as of Thanksgiving has a strong chance to eventually make the playoffs than a team not in a playoff position as of that milestone date.

Of course, as is also the case in the NFL and the NBA, a team then has to win its respective conference to advance to the championship round. So determining which of the eight teams from the Eastern Conference and the eight from the Western Conference will ultimately advance is a way to make a smart wager on the way to the Stanley Cup.

The same teams that are favored to win the Stanley Cup would be the favorites in NHL futures market for conference champions, and the same rules for finding a team worth wagering on still apply.

Lines.com is always here to guide you through the future sports NHL betting odds for the entire season with bonuses from all of the best sportsbooks.

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