SportsBetting3.com’s NHL futures odds guide explains everything you need to know about hockey futures bets. It explains what a NHL futures bet is and how to place a futures bet. This guide also includes the latest odds for the most popular NHL futures markets, plus the best sports betting sites where you can legally place bets in your jurisdiction. Learn how to bet on the Stanley Cup, Eastern and Western conferences, each division, and player awards.
NHL futures odds will update throughout the season, so be sure to bookmark this page and come back as the season progresses.
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Table of Contents
What are NHL Futures Bets?
A futures bet is placed on the outcome of a distant NHL event. Your bet wins if you chose the correct outcome. You may bet on more than one outcome at once, however the odds for each outcome will likely differ depending on each selection.
Popular NHL futures bets include odds to win the Stanley Cup, Eastern and Western Conference winners, and each division winner. Additionally, sports betting sites will have odds to win player awards like the the Hart Memorial Trophy, also known as the NHL MVP Award.
You can place a futures bet up to any point before the actual event begins or the player award is announced. Odds will vary as the season progresses. A team with a strong winning record will gradually become a favorite to win their conference and possibly the Stanley Cup. On the other hand, an underperforming player will gradually become a long shot underdog to win the Hart Memorial Trophy or any other player award.
NHL futures odds offer sports bettors two opportunities. One, the chance to bet on a distant event with a potentially higher payoff than any single game bet. Two, insight into which teams or players are likely to come out on top by the end of the season. Whether you actually bet the future or not, the changing odds are a useful datapoint to sharpen your hockey handicapping as the season progresses.
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How NHL Futures Bets Win or Lose
Your futures bet wins if you select the correct outcome. The bet loses if you select the wrong outcome, or if the team, player, or result you selected is no longer eligible for the event. This often happens with Stanley Cup or conference futures when a team is eliminated from the playoffs. It also happens with player awards when a player gets injured early in the season and can no longer compete against rivals.
What NHL Futures Odds Mean
Each possible NHL future outcome will have moneyline odds at American sportsbooks.
The most likely, or favorite outcome, will have a minus value. The minus value indicates how much you risk to win $100. -180 futures odds mean you risk $180 to win $100.
All other outcomes will have plus values. The plus value indicates how much you win if you risk $100. +450 futures odds mean you win $450 if you risk $100. Similarly, +3500 futures odds mean you win $3500 if you risk $100.
Some futures bets will not have a clear favorite. In this case, all odds will have plus values. The lowest value is considered the most likely, while the highest is considered the least likely.
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How NHL Futures are Graded
The sportsbook will grade the NHL futures bet when the event has officially passed.
In the case of a playoffs event like the Stanley Cup, the bet will be graded when a winner is determined. Likewise, the sportsbook will grade a player award futures bet when the winning player is announced.
Some sportsbooks will mark your bet as a loss if your team, player, or selection is no longer viable. This happens when a team is eliminated from the playoffs and cannot win their division, conference, or the Stanley Cup.
When Do NHL Futures Come Out?
NHL Futures bets typically come out as soon as the current season’s playoffs have concluded. That means you can expect to see next year’s NHL Stanley Cup futures within a week or two after the current year’s champion has been crowned.
Sports betting sites will release futures odds for conference and division winners 2-3 weeks after the odds to win the next Stanley Cup.
The final futures odds for the upcoming NHL hockey season will be published between July to August, possibly September at the latest. These will include player awards, team performance futures, and any less popular futures bets that can’t be offered until oddsmakers have enough information to create a betting market.
NHL Futures Bet Example
|
Team |  BetMGM |
 BetRivers |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricanes | +450 Bet | +425 Bet |
| Panthers | +650 Bet | +550 Bet |
| Rangers | +650 Bet | +650 Bet |
| Oilers | +650 Bet | +700 Bet |
| Golden Knights | +1000 Bet | +1000 Bet |
| Stars | +1100 Bet | +1400 Bet |
| Canucks | +1200 Bet | +850 Bet |
| Bruins | +1200 Bet | +1400 Bet |
| Avalanche | +1300 Bet | +1100 Bet |
| Jets | +1300 Bet | +1200 Bet |
| Maple Leafs | +1600 Bet | +2000 Bet |
| Kings | +4000 Bet | +6000 Bet |
| Lightning | +4500 Bet | +4000 Bet |
| Predators | +6000 Bet | +6000 Bet |
| Islanders | +17500 Bet | +20000 Bet |
| Capitals | +20000 Bet | +20000 Bet |
The following NHL futures bet example is for the odds to win the Stanley Cup. The example table contains odds for the top four teams.
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Avalanche | +900 |
| Hurricanes | +900 |
| Oilers | +1000 |
| Golden Knights | +1200 |
Sizing Up the Odds
Reviewing the table, no team has a minus value that would indicate it is a clear favorite to win the Stanley Cup. Instead, the top four teams all have plus values, with the Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes considered the mostly likely to win at +900 odds.
A $100 bet on Colorado or Carolina to win the Stanley Cup would pay $900. The Edmonton Oilers trail both teams at +1000 odds. A $100 bet on the Oilers would pay $1000.
The Vegas Golden Knights are less likely to win the Stanley Cup based on the odds above. At +1200, a $100 bet on Vegas would pay $1200 if the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup.
Betting 2 or More Teams
Note that you could bet on two or more teams to win the Stanley Cup or any other NHL futures bet. Though this strategy improves your chances of a winning wager, it will come at the cost of a higher upfront investment and potentially greater loss should none of your selections win.
For example, suppose you bet $10 on Colorado to win $90, and $10 on Edmonton to win $100.
If Colorado wins the Stanley Cup, your net result would be $90 (Colorado wins) – $10 (Edmonton loses) = $80.00. In this case, the $20 you risked returned $80, representing a 400% return ( ($80/$20) * 100).
If Edmonton wins the Stanley Cup, your net result would be $100 (Edmonton wins) – $10 (Colorado loses) = $90.00. Here the $20 you risked returned $90, producing an even higher 450% return ( ($90/$20) * 100). Not bad for a $20 bet!
However, if the Vegas Golden Knights end up winning the Stanley Cup, you’d lose both bets and take net a -$20 loss. With 32 teams in the NHL, and at least 5-6 likely contenders, futures bets offer the possibility for high returns if you’re willing to take a big risk.
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How to Bet NHL Futures
Time needed: 1 minute
How to place a NHL Futures bet
- Review odds for the NHL’s upcoming events
Review futures odds for the NHL’s upcoming events. Popular events include the Stanley Cup, conference and division winners. Also review odds to win player awards.
- Each outcome has moneyline odds
Each outcome will have moneyline odds at American sports betting sites. Minus values indicate how much you risk to win $100. Plus values indicate how much you win if you risk $100.
- Make your selection and place your bet
Make one or more selections and bet your desired amount.
- You may place one or more futures bets on the same event
You can place multiple bets on the same event at once or at different times. Simply choose a different outcome and place another wager.
- Your bet wins if you picked the correct outcome
Your bet wins if you picked the correct outcome. Review your sportsbook’s rules to see when a futures bet can be cancelled.
NHL Futures Bets
The following are the most popular NHL futures bets. These bets are the most commonly placed by recreational and professional bettors alike. Use the odds to guide your handicapping throughout the season.
- Stanley Cup
- Eastern Conference
- Western Conference
- Hart Memorial Trophy
- Calder Memorial Trophy
- Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophy
- Art Ross Trophy
- Vezina Trophy
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When to Bet NHL Futures
There’s an art and science to betting NHL futures. The trick is to properly time your bet. You don’t want to bet too early without knowing much about how your team or player will perform. But you also don’t want to bet so late that your selection is an obvious winner with a small return. Consider the following before placing a futures bet:
- Do I have good data to backup the bet I’m making? – Don’t pick a team to win the Stanley Cup unless they have a winning record and are likely to win throughout the playoffs. Review the team’s recent performances, standings, and stats.
- What does the rest of the schedule look like? – An underdog team that gets off to a surprisingly good start may just have an light early-season schedule. Check the rest of their season. If they’re up against powerhouse opponents, their record will take a quick turn for the worse and they might not be playoff contenders after all.
- Are key players healthy and will they remain in good health? – Though you can’t predict the future health of a particular player, you do know how they’ve fared in recent matchups. Keep tabs on injury reports, no matter how insignificant. This is particularly important for a team’s starting six, including its first line, along with key substitute players. Also carefully monitor the starting goalie’s health. A player that gets injured late in the season will almost certainly fall out of contention for a an award, and may impact their team’s chances of progressing through the postseason.
Moderate Your Risk
For every person that wins a big bet on a longshot, there are dozens more that lose. Futures bets are inherently more risky than single-game wagers. Therefore, it’s best to bet on 1-3 selections with a reasonable chance of winning. You may also consider betting small amounts on longshots with higher payouts and larger amounts on likely winners with smaller payouts. This ensures your net result, no matter what happens, will at least produce a breakeven result or a small profit.
NHL Futures FAQs
A futures bet is placed on the outcome of a distant NHL event. Your bet wins if you chose the correct outcome. You may bet on more than one outcome at once, however the odds for each outcome will likely differ depending on each selection.
Minus values indicate how much you risk to win $100. Selections with a minus value are considered strong favorites. Plus values indicate how much you win if you risk $100. Selections with plus values are considered underdogs. A selection with the lowest plus odds value among a market with no minus value favorite would be considered a modest underdog to win.
Your futures bet wins if you select the correct outcome. The bet loses if you select the wrong outcome, or if the team, player, or result you selected is no longer eligible for the event.
The most popular NHL futures bet is the team to win the Stanley Cup. Odds for each team to win the next Stanley Cup will be released shortly after the current year’s winner has been crowned.
There’s an art and science to betting NHL futures. The trick is properly timing your bet. You don’t want to bet too early without knowing much about how your team or player will perform. But you also don’t want to bet so late that your selection is an obvious winner with a small return.
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NHL Betting Resources
- NHL Betting Guide – The action is on the ice with NHL point spreads, totals, and puck lines. We also explain how to bet NHL parlays and props.
- NHL Betting Sites – SportsBetting3.com has reviewed top NHL betting sites just in time for the big game. The action is on the ice!
- NHL Odds – Moneyline, total, and puck line odds for upcoming NHL matchups, plus odds to win the Stanley Cup, each conference, division, and various player trophies.
- NHL Prop Bets – Learn how to bet NHL props with our helpful tutorial, then see the latest NHL prop bets from upcoming matchups.
- NHL Futures Odds – Review odds for popular NHL futures events, including the Stanley Cup Finals, Eastern and Western conference winners, division winners, Hart Memorial Trophy winner, and other player awards.
- NHL Point Total Odds – Review regular season point total lines and odds for each team. Remember to place you bet before each team’s first game of the regular season.
- Undefeated NHL Teams – See which teams are still undefeated in the current regular season.
- NHL Team Shootout Records – See each team’s current and historic shootout record from the 2005 season to present.
- Stanley Cup Betting Odds – Latest odds to win the Stanley Cup, plus ways to bet on the Stanley Cup finals.
- Winning NHL Betting Strategies – Intermediate to advanced ways to sharpen your NHL handicapping to place winning hockey bets.
- Handicapping a Hockey Game – Quick primer on what to look for when you’re sizing up an NHL matchup.
- NHL Team Betting Odds – Review odds for each NHL team, including upcoming games, futures, and season specials.