NHL Stanley Cup Odds, Predictions and Everything for NHL Betting in 2021

This year’s NHL season will be played quite differently than any other season in the league’s history. There are two major changes that come about, including only a 56-game schedule and restructuring of teams into four different divisions. 

The NHL playoff format will also predictably bring about some changes this year. However, the end product will remain the same, with one NHL team hoisting up the Stanley Cup after a successful playoff performance.  

NHL Stanley Cup Odds 2021

No time was wasted by sportsbooks in dropping odds on the 2021 Stanley Cup champions. 

*Odds on all 31 teams as of 1/29/2021

Features and Highlights of NHL Betting 

The NHL is one of the top four major professional leagues in America. Betting on the league is popular as well as it provides an intense, talent filled atmosphere with every game. With an understanding of the NHL, you can make better wagers on games in one of America’s most popular sports. 

Like other hockey leagues, NHL betting is characterized by a few things that describe the sport as a whole:

• High-scoring games

• Fast-paced action

• Attractive odds going both ways

• Unpredictable changes of events 

• Very few mismatches/ competitive league

These NHL betting features define the style of hockey played in the league. Like many other professional leagues in America, the competition is immense. The NHL runs a draft system like the NFL and NBA, ensuring that the worst teams will get the higher picks for the following year.

In 2021, the intensity that is usually seen in the NHL will rise, due to the shortened league schedule. High-scoring games is something that has continued to rise recently as the emphasis on speed and attack becomes more of a focus in the league. 

Since there are no out of division games this season, teams will also see much more of their division rivals, including back-to-back games. This new amendment gives fans a better idea of which teams are truly the strongest from each division.  

Making Better NHL Predictions, and Finding the Worthy Ones

Profitable opportunities in NHL betting often come with total under wagers on goals, along with betting on perceived underdogs in games throughout the season. Since the league is so competitive, both teams will usually have high odds to win in each game. 

For these types of bets and others, NHL predictions can help you to get an overall analysis and hear different opinions on the games. Whether you are making predictions on NHL games yourself or finding them online, you need to look for certain things. 

Players should look at the goalie performances for both teams. These can give a good indicator by themselves on how many goals an opposing team stands to score. 

That's not all, as factors like team injuries, current form and playoff motivation will also be important. The ladder especially will be big this 2021 season. With such a short schedule, it will quickly become apparent which teams will be competing for playoff spots, and therefore carrying extra motivation with them into each game. 

NHL predictions that are worth your time will touch on at least one of these factors going into the game. The main thing that should be looked for however are reasons for making statements. 

Anyone can put on paper what they think will happen, but backing up these assumptions with valid reasoning gives us more of a basis for our own bets on NHL predictions. 

NHL Playoff Predictions

While the regular NHL season may seem intense and unpredictable, the NHL Playoffs are on a completely different level. Teams go all out in the playoffs, and fans and bettors alike take notice of this as interest in the league also rises during this time. 

With playoff betting, the favored team usually wins as the seven-game series favors stronger teams. However, this isnt to say there are not upsets, as they happen each year. 

The 2021 NHL Playoffs will be played a little differently this year, in response to the new divisions and shortened schedule. There will be 16 teams entering the 2021 playoffs, with one team from each division reaching the semifinals. 

With league popularity at a high come playoffs, NHL playoff predictions will also be out in abundance. The same rules will generally apply to these picks as well, however for the playoffs the emphasis is actually more on the favorites and the current form leading up to the postseason. 

NHL Stanley Cup Predictions in 2021

Changes in this year’s NHL season will also have a minor (possibly major) impact on the Stanley Cup Finals in 2021. It also leaves things more open for Stanley Cup predictions.

The first two rounds of the playoffs in 2021 will be played between division rivals. However, due to the new playoff seeding, two division rivals could potentially meet each other in the Stanley Cup Final.

Right now, NHL Stanley Cup predictions can be used to make bets on a couple different markets:

• Stanley Cup outright winner

• Division of the Stanley Cup winning team

Betting on multiple teams from the same division now makes more sense, especially if they hold stronger opponents. In 2021, the two teams with the highest chances of winning it all according to sportsbook odds and Stanley Cup predictions come from the West Division. 

With futures bets such as outright champions in leagues, betting on more than one team is a common strategy. After reading through various Stanley Cup predictions, you should be able to gather two, three or even more teams that are heavily backed to win it all. 

In 2021, teams from the same division can both make the Stanley Cup Finals, so players will no longer have to pick and choose between top teams in close proximity. 

Final Thoughts and Sportsbooks for the 2021 NHL Season

This NHL season in 2021 will be unlike any other we have seen. Division rivals in close proximity will get many chances this season to battle each other, with any two of them having the chance to end up together in the Stanley Cup Final. 

A shortened schedule will also lead to higher motivation and intensity for each game, but will also reveal real contenders early on in the season. For this reason, NHL Playoff and Stanley Cup predictions will start to get clearer earlier on. 

Every online sportsbook in the United States will have betting lines available for NHL games. Getting started is as easy as choosing a sportsbook, registering and making a deposit. From there, betting on NHL predictions can be done nearly every day.