NHL Futures

Futures odds are generally set far in advance of their outcome, and the payouts can be much higher than day-to-day bets. Odds on futures bets can fluctuate for many reasons, including injuries, trades, suspension, coach firings and other random stuff.

Not long after a Stanley Cup champion is crowned, Stanley Cup betting odds for the next champion are up and ready at many sportsbooks for you to wager upon. Usually, the current Cup winner will be the early favorite for the next one. But as the summer progresses, through trades and free agency, the odds often change. Maybe a team just signed the top free agent available? Chances are their Cup odds will immediately be more favorable.

A few weeks into a season, typically the odds start changing based on the current standings. The team that flies out of the gate is going to see their odds narrowed, and vice-versa. In the 2018-19 season, for example, the Tampa Bay Lightning had a strong start and kept up such a torrid pace that their Cup odds became much higher than the next competitors. At the start of the season, the Lightning were higher than +800 to win the Cup. By the final month of the regular season, Tampa Bay was +200, and the nearest closest teams were +1000.

Those true believers in the Lightning will receive a much higher payout should they win the Cup. So, early belief, and sticking with a team, often is the key to winning big.

While not a market offered in many sportsbooks, the odds on teams to make the playoffs is gaining popularity alongside more established bets such as odds on teams winning their division and odds on conference and Cup winners. The reason for this is quite obvious: The modern era of sports betting requires more and more variety, and some sportsbooks have found such variety in this market where bettors can try and predict whether a team will make the playoffs even as the season is progressing.

The NHL All-Star Game used to be a fairly straightforward affair for sports bettors. Moneyline, puck line and over/under. Today? There is more variety for prospective wagerers.

First off, you can find sites and sportsbooks through Bookies.com where some prop bets can be placed (first player to score a goal, player to score the most goals, etc.). Second, since the NHL went to a round-robin three-on-three tournament in 2016, there are three games to bet on, not one.

A quick reminder on the format: All four league divisions are represented. The two divisions from each conference play each other in one 20-minute game, at three-on-three. The winners of those two games play for the championship, in another 20-minute game.

If any of the games are tied after regulation, a best-of-three-round shootout commences, with additional rounds necessary until there’s a winner. Many sportsbooks will offer odds on the MVP winner. Traditionally, that award has gone to the player that scores the most goals. Bookies has throrough reviews of the top sportsbooks in Canada and the United States that offer future bets.