Stanley Cup Betting Guide

The Regular Season

Each team plays a total of 82 games 41 home games and 41 on the road. Each team will play all other teams in their division six times, all teams outside of their division four times and the remaining 18 games are inter-conference games. This set up allows each team to play every other team at least once. Each team is awarded two points for a win, one point for a loss in overtime or a shootout and no points for a loss in regulation time. These points determine the seed positions for the teams and thus whether or not they qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The league is divided up into two conferences: the Eastern Conference and Western Conference. The Eastern Conference is divided up into three divisions: Atlantic, Northeast and Southeast. The Western Conference is divided up into three divisions: Central, Northwest and Pacific.

The Postseason

After being introduced to the sport by his children, the Governor General of Canada, Lord Stanley of Preston, became a huge hockey fan. Recognizing that there was no commemoration for the best team in Canada, in 1892 he purchased a decorative bowl for use as a trophy. It became known as the Stanley Cup and is still used to commemorate the best team in the NHL each year. It is one of only two sports trophies that have all of the winning team's members names inscribed on it. Unlike other sports trophies, a new trophy is not made for each year's winner to keep. Instead, the Cup is passed from team to team each year. The Cup is surrounded by plenty of superstition and legends and is one of the most coveted prizes in the sporting world.

The Stanley Cup playoffs consists of four rounds, each of which is a best of seven series. The top 16 teams (eight from each conference) face off in three rounds to determine who will play in the final round for the honor of claiming the Stanley Cup. In the first round, teams from each conference are matched up based on their seed positions. The top seeded teams face off against the lowest seeded teams as follows: 1-8, 2-7, 3-6 and 4-5.

In the second round, the top remaining seed plays against the lowest remaining seed and the other two teams face off against one another.

In the third round, or Conference Finals, the two remaining teams in the conference play against one another. The winners of this series are declared the Conference champions and go on to play in the final round against the opposing conference champions for the Stanley Cup.

The Montreal Canadiens have won the Stanley Cup an unprecedented 24 times. That's more than double the amount of the second most winning team, which is the Detroit Red Wings with 11 wins. The Boston Bruins and the Edmonton Oilers round out the top three with five wins apiece. There are 12 teams that have never won the Cup.

The postseason is a favorite for sports bettors and fans alike. Many people like to add an extra element of excitement to the games by making a friendly wager. Many online sportsbooks offer odds on several aspects of the games, but the two most popular are the Money Line and the Puck Line. If you would like to learn more about the odds in this sport, check out our ice hockey page. Take a look at our recommended sportsbooks to put down a wager on your favorite teams.