NHL Lines Legend
What are NHL Futures?
NHL futures are hockey wagers where bettors place money on a team to win an event that takes place at a later time in the year or season. Once a futures bet has been made at an online sportsbook, it’s officially locked in with fixed odds at the time of that wager. Depending on which sportsbook you use and when they post their futures odds, you can bet on NHL futures before the season starts or you can wager on NHL futures during the season.
The most common NHL futures are wagering on which team will win the Stanley Cup, which teams will win their respective conferences, and performance awards such as who will the regular season MVP, otherwise known as The Hart Memorial Trophy.
Stanley Cup Futures
Which NHL team will win the Stanley Cup next season? You can bet on that today and every other day by wagering on NHL futures. Oddsmakers set and move lines during the NHL season, depending on the relative strength of NHL teams.
The top-ranked team in the league might be +400 odds to win the Cup. That means you would earn $4 for every $1 wagered if that team goes on to win Lord Stanley. However, the NHL’s last-place team may be +10000. Sure, it would pay out big time, but it’s a crazy long shot.
They say the Stanley Cup is the hardest trophy to win in all of professional sports which ordinarily wouldn’t bode well for hockey bettors placing NHL futures, but the payoff can be so sweet.
Stanley Cup Odds
Let’s say the Colorado Avalanche (+600) are the preseason favorites to win the Stanley Cup, with the Tampa Bay Lightning trailing ever so closely at (+750). A $100 wager on the Avs would profit $600 if they were to win, while a $100 wager on the Bolts would profit $750 if they were to take home the championship trophy.
Use our odds calculator to see how much you could win on NHL futures. Payouts depend on the odds and amount wagered. We have formats of American odds, Decimal odds, Fractional odds, and Implied Odds too.
Division and Conference NHL Futures Betting
Ordinarily, the NHL consists of two conferences (Eastern and Western). However, because of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the NHL decided to divide its league into four divisions instead (East, Central, West, and North). The Northern division will consist of Canadian teams only. The Eastern Conference used to consist of the Metropolitan and Atlantic divisions, while the Western Conference used to consist of the Central and Pacific divisions.
The top four teams from each division qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs. Those four teams from each division then play in the first two rounds of the postseason (1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3). The teams that advance from the four divisions are then reseeded by points in a 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3 format to decide who plays in the Stanley Cup final. Having said that, you can wager on which teams you believe will win these divisions.
NHL Awards Betting
Player awards are also a very popular NHL futures market. The Hart Memorial Trophy is awarded to the Most Valuable Player in the NHL regular season, while the Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded to the MVP of the NHL Playoffs. Other NHL player awards include:
- • James Norris Memorial Trophy (Best Defenseman)
- • Vezina Trophy (Best Goaltender)
- • Calder Memorial Trophy (Rookie of the Year)
- • Ted Lindsay Award (Most Outstanding Player)
- • Selke Trophy (Best Defensive Forward)
- • Lady Byng Trophy (Most Gentlemanly Player)
- • Jack Adams Award (Coach of the Year)