2023 NHL Stanley Cup Betting Predictions

The Stanley Cup is the major ice hockey trophy awarded to the NHL’s top professional franchise since 1926. Lord Stanley of Preston, the General Governor of Canada in 1892, gave his name to the world’s most prestigious ice hockey cup.

The Western and Eastern Conference Champions compete in a best-of-seven series in the final stage of the postseason, offering bettors hundreds of options at valuable NHL betting odds to win Stanley Cup from all leading bookmakers. For the 2023 season, Western Champions Vegas Golden Knights face the best team from East, Florida Panthers.

Following our Stanley Cup betting predictions, you can find the best options and prices for all main and secondary markets from June 4th till the end of the NHL Finals.

2023 Stanley Cup Betting Tips

The easy part of betting on the NHL Finals is that you need to put only the two finalists under your radar compared to the regular season and the previous postseason stages. The latest news on injuries and bans, coaches’ tactics and public opinion about the series results are some factors you must check before placing bets. Follow our Stanley Cup betting tips and enhance your winning chances of rolling on the ice.

Follow injury news

There are reliable resources for all the latest info about injuries and bans where you can find lists of absences and their stats cover. It’s the safest path to understand the impact of a player’s possible absence from the games and build your winning ice hockey betting strategies.

Home-ice advantage

It’s not weird that most athletes perform better at home than on the road in sports. The same applies to ice hockey, and that’s why all franchises are fighting for the home-ice advantage during the regular season. When you back a favourite in a Stanley Cup game, pay attention to the overtime possibility; in that case, it seems that home teams have more chances of winning due to their fans’ support.

Goaltending factor

A critical parameter you should analyse when breaking down Games 1 & 2 and coaches’ tactics. There are two main ice hockey-related stats for goaltenders; the Goals Against Average and the Save Percentage. Following these metrics, you can understand how often a goalie allows a goal and if he saves shots efficiently.

Public betting

Sharp bettors evaluate consensus but rarely follow public betting trends; we follow the same strategy before releasing our Stanley Cup betting predictions. Determining when a selection attracts a lot of money is essential, although a possible odds movement may be caused by other parameters like a key player’s absence.

Top Stanley Cup Predictions & Odds

We release two daily picks for each game every June period, as you can see by exploring our NHL predictions today section. Our experts’ method is based on an in-depth knowledge of the sport, full stats coverage and extensive research to suggest where to bet on the Stanley Cup winner. Let’s introduce two of our top picks for series outrights.

Florida Panthers To Win The Stanley Cup @2.12 (28/25).

The Eastern Conference Champions are in the NHL Finals for the first time in 27 years. They only had one previous appearance on that stage when they were swept in four games by the Colorado Avalanche in 1996. Florida is exceptional in the current postseason; teams with better standings, Bruins, Maple Leafs, and Hurricanes, were eliminated from the Panthers on the road to the trophy; that’s why it’s one of our top Stanley Cup betting predictions.

They are underdogs to make it at 2.12 odds, while for Game 1, Florida pays 2.75 (7/4) odds to break the home-ice advantage in the 60-minute regular time. However, probable overtime can’t scare a never-say-die team, having six wins in six overtime games this postseason.

Over 5,5 Total Games in the Series @1.53 (53/100).

After seeding higher than Florida in the regular season, the Vegas Golden Knights have the home-ice advantage for the Finals. They played for the trophy in 2018, but now it opens the window of opportunity for the first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

The Jets, Oilers, and Stars were eliminated from Vegas, the favourite of the series, at 1.73 (73/100) odds. Trying to predict the total games in the NHL Finals, both finalists can take at least two wins each; so, the possibility of a Game 6 pays low at 1.53, but it’s a probable scenario.

Best Bookies For Stanley Cup Bets

Exploring the list below, you can find the best Stanley Cup bets for 2023 among leading NHL bookmakers who offer a broad range of ice hockey betting markets, high odds and offers that can bolster your bankroll.

Stanley Cup Betting Predictions For Top Ice Hockey Markets

We aim to review as many options and strategies as possible to help both novice and sharp ice hockey bettors profit from the NHL Finals. As a bedrock in our method, Bookmakers.bet separates game and series wagering, evaluating risk and reward ratios before introducing this series’ best NHL markets. Let’s look at the best Stanley Cup betting predictions for the Finals.

Game Betting

Suppose you follow a game-by-game strategy, which is utterly different from betting on the entire series. Firstly, you must choose your side and select the favourite’s or the underdog’s path, evaluating the offered odds. Then, it’s critical to do some deep research on the finalist you want to back. Injury news and tactics, current form and the days a team gets to rest before the Finals are some primary parameters you must consider. Notice that there will be one day off between games, except for a two-day rest break between Games 2 & 3.

For the 2023 showdown, the one-million-dollar question applies to Vegas’s ability to face a well-rested opponent. Florida had ten days off between rounds compared to the Golden Knights’ five. That’s why Vegas may be more competitive in Game 2, building their fitness after Game 1. It seems a better opportunity for them to make a home win in regular time or overtime, a top pick among our Stanley Cup betting predictions.

Vegas Golden Knights vs. Florida Panthers (Game 2) ⇒ 1 (inc. OT) @1.80 (4/5).

Conn Smythe Trophy Winner

Before you predict the Conn Smythe Trophy Winner, it’s critical to look behind the history of previous NHL Finals and explore the fulfilled criteria of their respective MVPs. The skater who will receive the great honour will be awarded for his series performance and the entire postseason. In recent years, the MVP has come from the Champions’ side.

Despite Vegas being the odds’ favourite to lift the cup, the two main favourites for the MVP award come from the Panthers; goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky at 3.00 (2/1) odds and left winger Matthew Tkachuk at 3.50 (5/2). However, our experts suggest a formidable challenger from the underdog finalist on their Stanley Cup betting predictions.

Golden Knights centre Jack Eichel comes from behind in the race at 4.50 odds, having 27 goals and 39 assists in the regular season and 6 goals plus 12 assists during the playoffs. Looking at his last ten games’ skating performance, he offered at least one goal or assist to Vegas in seven games. If one of our main Stanley Cup bets, the Panthers to win the trophy, becomes a loser, then Eichel has a good chance to receive the MVP award. So, we will risk it.

Conn Smythe Trophy Winner ⇒ Jack Eichel @4.50 (7/2).

Stanley Cup Top Goalscorer

There’s no shootout process in the postseason and during the Stanley Cup series after a possible tie in the 60-minute regular time. Overtime periods are played, and each overtime lasts 20 minutes. So, any goals scored in overtime count for all skaters who compete for the Finals top goalscorer award. For the 2023 season, the main favourite is Panthers’ Tkachuk at 5.00 odds, while two slightly dark horses exist; Vegas’ Eichel and Jonathan Marchessault at 6.00 (5/1).

Our Stanley Cup betting predictions are based on Florida’s goalscorer, whose ranking is second in the current postseason with 21 pieces (i.e., behind Dallas’ Hintz, who scored 24). Two Golden Knights’ skaters have scored 18 and 17 goals, respectively, in the playoffs. Tkachuk seems sharp to be the NHL Finals’ top scorer.

Stanley Cup Top Goalscorer ⇒ Matthew Tkachuk @5.00 (4/1).

Series Leader After 4 Games

The odds on the Finals work differently at the beginning of the series compared to the ones halfway. You can place an outright bet predicting the score at the beginning of the series or back the leading team after three or four games. In the crucial point after four games, both finalists will have played two home clashes each; the 2-2 draw is amid the top Stanley Cup bets based on odds, and the explanation is obvious. Both Vegas and Florida can defend either their home-ice advantage or exploit their strengths, making one break each.

Series Leader After 4 Games ⇒ Tie (2-2) @2.45 (29/20).

Total Power Play Goals

The optimal situation for ice hockey teams is to play as much as they can at full-strength (6 vs. 6) or 5-on-5 conditions. Power play goals or pieces scored when a finalist has a one or two-man advantage can hugely impact the series. Both title contenders play excellent umbrella and overload formations based on 5-on-4 conditions.

They have great skaters able to move the puck in the opposite direction and defensive zone, making quick shots. The option of Over 8,5 power play total goals in the series seems profitable.

Total Power Play Goals in Series ⇒ Over 8,5 @1.90 (9/10).

Total Empty Net Goals

Our experts expect close games and series in their Stanley Cup betting predictions, so there is an increasing possibility of more than two empty net goals; especially if a Game 7 becomes necessary, that number is reachable. During the Finals, it’s highly expected that both teams will need at least one goal in the regular finish. That condition seems an excellent chance for the opponent to score an empty netter if the under-pressure team leaves its net defenceless, pulling the goaltender out. We evaluate the line as low so that you can take advantage of it.

Total Empty Net Goals in Series ⇒ Over 1,5 @1.72 (18/25).

Total Goals in Series

The offensive effectiveness of both contenders needs a comprehensive stats analysis and a probable scenario for bettors who will attempt to make a profit from total goals in the series. Firstly, you must predict the number of Stanley Cup games; if a Game 7 becomes necessary, then the Over on both finalists seems a decent option.

On the other hand, you should check the goalies’ sharpness if you want to place an Under bet. Florida’s Bobrovsky can keep low goals against average, while Vegas’ duo Logan Thompson and Adin Hill have averaged down the three-goals limit. It’s one of the more challenging markets, and we analyze it game-by-game in our Stanley Cup betting tips.

How to Bet on Stanley Cup Finals

If you are looking to risk money on your picks or on our Stanley Cup betting predictions, either for daily or futures bets, you should follow a specific path to understand what you can achieve based on the odds and your available bankroll. So, follow our footprints and learn how to bet on NHL Finals to make a profit.

• 1
  Follow main markets: Moneyline, puck line and totals markets are the most profitable ones for ice hockey. We choose them for NHL All-Star Game predictions and the whole season betting; in all cases, you take a 2-way street choosing between the favourites’ and underdogs’ odds and the best lines. That means you theoretically have 50:50 winning chances to win.
• 2
  Use stats: Sharp ice hockey bettors use stats in their favour to analyse the behaviour and the potential performance of the team they’re backing. Power-play and kill ratios, Corsi metric, and teams’ and players’ averages should be analysed in order to create a sufficient betting model.
• 3
  Early payout offer: Leading bookies provide an early payout offer in ice hockey. You can take advantage, especially in the Stanley Cup Finals, where the underdog franchise can make upsets and win your bet when the team you back takes a 3-goal lead during the game.
• 4
  Bet on underdogs: Remember that you have to deal with the best NHL teams, so there aren’t major differences between the two contenders. Betting on moneyline underdogs or against the spread by backing home teams is a profitable option you should consider.

Where To Bet On Stanley Cup

Here you can find a complete list of the best bookies for ice hockey where you can explore and enjoy the highest odds for moneylines, puck lines and totals Stanley Cup betting predictions for the Vegas Golden Knights vs. Florida Panthers showdown.