NHL 2026 Regular Season Betting Odds - Bet on Ice Hockey with Best Betting Tips

With the 2026 Winter Olympics on the horizon, it's an exciting time for hockey fans. For those who are interested in betting on hockey, Stake Sportsbook is a great platform. That’s why we put together a sports betting guide that covers everything you need to know before you start betting on the 2025-26 NHL season right here at Stake.dk.

What is the NHL

The NHL is the top professional hockey league in the world. It’s made up of teams throughout North America, 25 being based in the U.S. and seven in Canada. The league is home to the world’s top hockey players like Sydney Crosby and Connor McDavid, while also attracting superstars from all over the world, like Finland’s Aleksander Barkov.

History of the NHL

The NHL was first organized in Montreal in 1917. It took the place of the National Hockey Association, which had recently suspended operations. At first, the NHL had just four teams, all based in Canada. From 1942 to 1967, the league consisted of just the “original six” franchises. Starting in 1967, the NHL has routinely expanded, ultimately growing to the 32 franchises that compete today.

Format & Schedule of the 2026 NHL Season

The 32 NHL teams are divided into four divisions, 2 in the Eastern Conference and 2 in the Western Conference. There are 8 playoff teams in each conference. The 3 best teams in each division qualify for the playoffs, as well as two Wild Card teams from each conference among the teams that didn’t finish top 3 in their division. Each round of the playoffs is a best-of-7 series, culminating in the Stanley Cup Final between the Eastern Conference champion and the Western Conference champion. During the 2026 NHL regular season, all 32 teams will play 82 games. This is the final season of that format before the schedule expands to 84 games for the 2026-27 season.

2025-26 NHL Teams

The Florida Panthers enter the 2025-26 NHL season as the two-time defending champs. They are already the third team this century to win consecutive Cup finals, although there has been no three-peat winner since the New York Islanders in the early 1980s. Of course, no team has won the Stanley Cup more times than the Montreal Canadiens, who have lifted the trophy 24 times. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings are also among the NHL’s most successful franchises, winning the Stanley Cup 13 and 11 times, respectively.

Here is a full list of the current NHL franchises for the 2025-26 season by their division.

Atlantic Division

• Boston Bruins

• Buffalo Sabres

• Detroit Red Wings

• Florida Panthers

• Montreal Canadiens

• Ottawa Senators

• Tampa Bay Lightning

• Toronto Maple Leafs

Metropolitan Division

• Carolina Hurricanes

• Columbus Blue Jackets

• New Jersey Devils

• New York Rangers

• New York Islanders

• Philadelphia Flyers

• Pittsburgh Penguins

• Washington Capitals

Central Division

• Chicago Blackhawks

• Colorado Avalanche

• Dallas Stars

• Minnesota Wild

• Nashville Predators

• St. Louis Blues

• Utah Mammoth

• Winnipeg Jegs

Pacific Division

• Anaheim Ducks

• Calgary Flames

• Edmonton Oilers

• Los Angeles Kings

• San Jose Sharks

• Seattle Kraken

• Vancouver Canucks

• Vegas Golden Knights

How to Bet on the NHL & Ice Hockey Bet Types

Stake.dk makes NHL and ice hockey betting as simple as possible. First, you sign up for an account and then deposit funds into your account. Then navigate to the NHL page on Stake Sportsbook. You will find a list of upcoming games, all of which have a wide array of betting options.

If you’re new to sports betting, moneyline bets are among the easiest sports bets to understand. Advanced bettors can try handicap bets or goals scored over/under bets for individual games, as well as outright bets for the winners of specific divisions or betting on Stanley Cup odds. You can also bet on player goals or awards like the NHL MVP. These are some of the common types of hockey bets you’ll find at Stake:

• Winner (Outrights)

• 1x2

• Handicap

• Total

• Asian Handicap

• Asian Total

• Draw No Bet

• Double Chance

• Both Team to Score

• Winning Margin

Live Stream NHL Regular Season Games & Live Hockey Betting

Stake Sportsbook allows our users to watch live streams of NHL games with the stream logo next to it for free. By watching live on Stake, it’s easy to monitor your bets and consider cash-out options. Plus, because you’re watching in real-time, you’ll be well-informed when placing live bets.

NHL Betting Odds & Payouts

At Stake Sportsbook, you can view betting odds in American, decimal, or fractional format. It’s easy to toggle between the different options, so you can always see the odds and payout of a bet in your preferred format.

NHL Betting Tips, Predictions & Strategies

Before you begin any ice hockey betting, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Always set a budget to avoid losing more than you can afford.

• Explore various betting systems, like the Kelly Criterion strategy, that can serve as a guide to placing smart bets.

• Consider factors like key injuries, home-ice advantage, and each team’s recent results.

• Use resources available on the Stake Blog

Deposit & Withdrawal Methods for Betting on Ice Hockey

Once you've made an account on Stake.dk, you can deposit & withdraw Danish Krone local currency.

The customer support team at Stake are available to troubleshoot issues with deposits, withdrawals, bonuses, gambling safety, self-exclusion, responsible gambling and provide quality customer service for Stake.dk members.