The Colorado Avalanche are the favourites to win the Stanley Cup according to analysts across the board, but the field appears to be wide open. The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin Saturday 18 April with all eight first-round series, four in the East, four in the West, delivering some of the most compelling matchups in years.
Colorado is the class of the Western Conference and the chalk favourite to come out of their side of the bracket. In the East, Carolina is the most complete team, but Tampa-Montreal is the series most likely to produce must-see hockey.
Here's your complete guide, every first-round matchup previewed with Duelbits series odds, Stanley Cup futures, and best bets.
Bet on every series at Duelbits Sportsbook.
Odds correct at time of writing and subject to change.
| Team | Stanley Cup Odds |
|---|---|
| Colorado Avalanche | 4.15 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | 5.65 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 5.85 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | 11.60 |
| Minnesota Wild | 12.30 |
| Edmonton Oilers | 13.10 |
| Buffalo Sabres | 15.70 |
| Dallas Stars | 19.60 |
| Ottawa Senators | 22.10 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 24.00 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 32.00 |
| Utah Mammoth | 36.00 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 41.00 |
| Boston Bruins | 51.00 |
| Anaheim Ducks | 60.00 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 65.00 |
The NHL playoffs are a 16-team, four-round, best-of-seven tournament used to determine the Stanley Cup champion. Eight teams qualify from each conference: the top three teams in each division plus two wild-card teams per conference. The NHL uses a fixed bracket, so teams are not re-seeded after each round. This is key to know for efficient ice hockey crypto betting.
In the first round, division winners with the better record in each conference play the lower-ranked wild card. The other division winner faces the other wild card, and second and third-place teams in each division meet each other.
| Carolina Hurricanes | Ottawa Senators |
|---|---|
| 1.35 | 3.30 |
The Carolina Hurricanes finished first in the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference with home-ice advantage in the series. The Hurricanes are a shot-volume team averaging 32.2 shots per game, second in the league, while also allowing the fewest shots per game at 23.9.
Ottawa earned the second wild card and gets rewarded with the toughest draw in the East. The Senators are a young, skilled team that can surprise you, Brady Tkachuk in a playoff environment is always a handful, but the Hurricanes have the experience and the system to grind a less-tested group down.
The goaltending question is fascinating. Carolina can turn to veteran Frederik Andersen (85 career playoff games) or breakout starter Brandon Bussi, who went 31-6-2 in his debut NHL season. Ottawa's Linus Ullmark is a proven playoff performer and the Senators' biggest reason to believe in an upset.
Expect stalwart Senators defenceman Jake Sanderson to see significant head-to-head minutes against Andrei Svechnikov, Sebastian Aho, and Seth Jarvis. The series will be defined by which team can exert its forecheck influence more, both teams finished top-five in shots against.
Pick: Carolina in 6. Their Stanley Cup odds at 5.65 are excellent value if you believe they can go deep.
| Philadelphia Flyers | Pittsburgh Penguins |
|---|---|
| 1.63 | 2.30 |
The Battle of Pennsylvania is back, the Philadelphia Flyers ended their six-year playoff drought and are walking right into one of the sport's classic rivalries. These two franchises don't need any extra motivation against each other, but it's worth noting that Philly is a 3-seed, meaning they host Games 3 and 4 with a legitimate shot at stealing home ice. This should be the most physically combative series in the East.
Philadelphia are favoured at 1.63, a 3-seed hosting Game 1 on the road before returning to Wells Fargo Center for the middle games. Pittsburgh's goaltending has been cited as the weakest element of their postseason case, while the Flyers have Carter Hart back in net playing some of the best hockey of his career.
Pick: Philadelphia Flyers in 6. The Flyers' home-ice advantage in the middle games and superior goaltending is the edge.
| Buffalo Sabres | Boston Bruins |
|---|---|
| 1.56 | 2.45 |
Buffalo ends the longest playoff drought in North American professional sports. The Sabres as Atlantic Division winners and home favourites at 1.56 is one of the most remarkable storylines in the entire postseason, a franchise-defining moment for a team that has been rebuilding for years.
Analyst consensus leans Buffalo, but this series splits opinion more than almost any other in the bracket. Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in goal are the Sabres' strongest assets. Boston's experience and Jeremy Swayman's playoff pedigree give the Bruins a genuine upset case.
Pick: Buffalo Sabres in 7. Their first playoff run in over a decade, at home, with the crowd behind them — they get through, but not easily.
| Tampa Bay Lightning | Montreal Canadiens |
|---|---|
| 1.40 | 3.00 |
This is a rematch of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens. Tampa has been rebuilding around the remnants of their dynasty core, while Montreal's young group, built largely on the backbone of that surprising 2021 run, has developed into a legitimate playoff team. The revenge factor is real on both sides.
The Montreal advantage: Having the hottest player in the NHL in your lineup is an asset — and that's Cole Caufield, who scored 51 goals in a career year. The Tampa advantage: Nikita Kucherov, over the past four seasons, Kucherov has totalled a staggering 506 points, second only to McDavid. He has spearheaded the league's second most prolific even-strength attack.
The Canadiens were dealt a blow with an injury to defenceman Noah Dobson. That will put even more pressure on goaltender Jakub Dobes, a 24-year-old getting his first taste of playoff action and staring down a two-time Stanley Cup champion in Andrei Vasilevskiy.
Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning in 5. Vasilevskiy's playoff experience is decisive. Their Stanley Cup odds at 5.85 represent the best value in the market if you believe in a Lightning run.
| Colorado Avalanche | Los Angeles Kings |
|---|---|
| 1.20 | 4.65 |
The Avalanche finished 55-16-11 with 121 points, earning the Presidents' Trophy with the NHL-best 3.65 goals for per game and 2.43 against. They boast unmatched depth across all lines, bolstered by Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and goaltender Scott Wedgewood's breakout performance.
The Avalanche went 3-0 against the Kings in the regular season. This will be Kings captain Anze Kopitar's last regular-season game, having announced in September that this would be his final NHL season. His playoff swan song runs straight into the buzzsaw of the NHL's best regular-season team.
Colorado is -450 to win the series at most books, the most likely outcome being a 4-1 series win for the Avs. But note: no team that has won the Presidents' Trophy has gone on to win the Stanley Cup since the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks.
Pick: Colorado Avalanche in 5. Their Stanley Cup odds at 4.15 make them the clear futures bet of the tournament.
| Minnesota Wild | Dallas Stars |
|---|---|
| 1.54 | 2.40 |
Minnesota are the favourites at 1.54 in a genuinely competitive Central Division match-up. Dallas and Minnesota went 2-2 against each other in the regular season, making this the most balanced series in the West on paper.
Dallas is the deeper, more experienced team with Jake Oettinger rebounding in net. Minnesota's Kirill Kaprizov is the X-factor who can change any game single-handedly. Dallas carries a slight statistical edge but this series has seven-game potential written all over it.
The Wild's youth and speed against the Stars' playoff-tested core. Dallas have the goaltending edge with Oettinger, but Minnesota's speed up front can be a problem for any team in the league.
Pick: Minnesota Wild in 7, but Dallas at 2.40 to win the series represents value given their experience and goaltending depth.
| Vegas Golden Knights | Utah Mammoth |
|---|---|
| 1.52 | 2.55 |
The Vegas Golden Knights clinched the Pacific Division first place on Wednesday night, closing the season on a 7-0-1 run under John Tortorella. They enter as series favourites at 1.52 against a Utah Mammoth side that qualified for the postseason and now faces a genuine step up in competition.
Utah's playoff experience is minimal compared to a Vegas organisation built for postseason hockey. Carter Hart in goal for Vegas and the team's system under Tortorella gives them clear structural advantages. The Mammoth are an exciting team but this debut postseason run likely ends in the first round.
Pick: Vegas Golden Knights in 5. Their Stanley Cup odds at 11.60 are a longshot with genuine win potential if they can navigate the bracket.
| Edmonton Oilers | Anaheim Ducks |
|---|---|
| 1.45 | 2.80 |
The Anaheim Ducks qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2018, ending their eight-year playoff drought. They get their homecoming series against the Oilers, who have been postseason fixtures built around one of the most dangerous offensive duos in the sport. Connor McDavid will wrap up his sixth NHL scoring title, leading the league with 134 points. The Ducks are a younger, faster team than their last playoff appearance, but the Oilers have playoff-hardened veterans and an offensive ceiling that can dominate any series when McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are clicking.
Edmonton's concerns centre on goaltending, Stuart Skinner's .900 SV% is a genuine vulnerability against a Ducks team with enough speed to create second-chance opportunities. Connor Ingram is Edmonton's other option in net. McDavid's offence will carry this series, but goaltending could be the unexpected equaliser.
Pick: Edmonton Oilers in 6. Their Stanley Cup odds at 13.10 are decent value if you believe McDavid and Draisaitl can carry them through the bracket.
| Series | Favourite | Underdog |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado vs LA Kings | Avalanche 1.20 | Kings 4.65 |
| Carolina vs Ottawa | Hurricanes 1.35 | Senators 3.30 |
| Tampa Bay vs Montreal | Lightning 1.40 | Canadiens 3.00 |
| Edmonton vs Anaheim | Oilers 1.45 | Ducks 2.80 |
| Vegas vs Utah Mammoth | Golden Knights 1.52 | Mammoth 2.55 |
| Minnesota vs Dallas | Wild 1.54 | Stars 2.40 |
| Buffalo vs Boston | Sabres 1.56 | Bruins 2.45 |
| Philadelphia vs Pittsburgh | Flyers 1.63 | Penguins 2.30 |
| Bet | Market | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado Avalanche to win Stanley Cup | Outright | 4.15 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning to win Stanley Cup | Outright | 5.85 |
| Carolina Hurricanes to win Stanley Cup | Outright | 5.65 |
| Dallas Stars to win series vs Minnesota | Series Winner | 2.40 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins to win series vs Philadelphia | Series Winner | 2.30 |
Bet on all eight series at Duelbits. Stanley Cup futures, series winners, individual game odds, puck line, and total goals are all available.
Odds correct at time of writing and subject to change.
When do the 2026 NHL Playoffs start? The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin Saturday 18 April 2026. The Stanley Cup Final is scheduled to begin in June 2026.
What are the 2026 NHL Playoffs first-round matchups? East: Carolina Hurricanes vs Ottawa Senators; Pittsburgh Penguins vs Philadelphia Flyers; Buffalo Sabres vs Boston Bruins; Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens. West: Colorado Avalanche vs LA Kings; Dallas Stars vs Minnesota Wild; Vegas Golden Knights vs Utah Mammoth; Edmonton Oilers vs Anaheim Ducks.
Who are the favourites to win the 2026 Stanley Cup? The Colorado Avalanche are the Stanley Cup favourites at 4.15 on Duelbits, followed by the Carolina Hurricanes (5.65) and Tampa Bay Lightning (5.85). Colorado won the Presidents' Trophy with the best regular-season record in the NHL.
How does the NHL Playoffs format work? The NHL Playoffs are a 16-team, four-round, best-of-seven tournament. Eight teams from each conference qualify. The bracket is fixed once the regular season ends. The first team to win four games in a series advances through four rounds to become Stanley Cup champions.
What is the biggest upset potential in the 2026 NHL first round? Ottawa Senators at 3.30 against Carolina is the most notable underdog value, with Linus Ullmark in goal and Brady Tkachuk as a playoff force. The Pittsburgh Penguins at 2.30 against a Philadelphia Flyers side returning from a six-year drought is the Battle of Pennsylvania upset pick.
Is the Los Angeles Kings series Anze Kopitar's last? Yes. Kings captain Anze Kopitar announced the 2025-26 season would be his final NHL campaign. His playoff farewell faces the Colorado Avalanche, the Presidents' Trophy winners and Stanley Cup favourites.
Where can I bet on the 2026 NHL Playoffs? Bet on all 2026 NHL Playoffs series and games on Duelbits Sportsbook. Navigate to Ice Hockey and find the NHL section for series winner, game odds, puck line, total goals, and Stanley Cup futures.
