NHL 2025-26 Regular Season Betting Odds - Bet on Ice Hockey with Best Betting Tips
It's been a long summer, but the 2025-26 NHL season is finally here. 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.
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 2025-26 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 2025-26 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 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
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. Just keep potential line movements in mind because no betting line is set in stone, which can have an impact on the payment of a winning bet.
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 like the Stake NHL Picks Blog, which will be updated regularly throughout the season to help you make good choices.
Deposit & Withdrawal Methods for Betting on Ice Hockey
Securing your personal information is important to us; which is why you can log in to your account using a passkey . Likewise, when it comes to the funds in your account, the Stake Vault ensures everything is safe.
When it comes to deposits and withdrawals, there are several options available to you. As a crypto-friendly platform, Stake users can use platforms like Moonpay and Swapped to trade multiple types of cryptocurrencies, including BTC, ETH, USDT, EOS, Doge, LTC, TRX, SOL, and more. Thanks to mesh integration, betting with Crypto is always safe at Stake. For more traditional users, Stake accepts several local currencies, such as Canadian Dollars, Turkish Lira, Vietnamese Dong, Argentine Pesos, Chilean Pesos, Mexican Pesos, USD in Ecuador, and Indian Rupees.
Stake Sportsbook Promotions, VIP Club & Responsible Betting
Stake Sportsbook stands out from similar platforms in part because of our wide range of bonus offers and promotions. On any given day, users may be eligible for profit boosts, a rakeback bonus, a reload bonus, or other promotions. You can expect even more benefits and rewards by joining the Stake VIP club, including a dedicated VIP host at higher levels. To know more, read our VIP FAQ page.
Stake is fully committed to giving our users the best customer support possible. And that includes providing you with Stake Smart tips to help you bet responsibly, ensuring a safe and fun betting experience.
