NHL betting

The National Hockey League incorporates 30 teams from across the United States of America and Canada and is one of the best known and most popular sports leagues in the world.

It is also one of the most exciting to bet on, with several teams all capable of performing brilliantly in their conference and going on to win the Stanley Cup.

The fact that retaining the title is extremely difficult means there can be some pretty big odds in the Stanley Cup betting…

Avoid backing a team to retain the Stanley Cup in the NHL betting

When the Boston Bruins won the 2011 Stanley Cup they became the eighth consecutive different team to win the title.

Chicago Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Detroit Red Wings, Anaheim Ducks, Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning and New Jersey Devils all won the trophy between 2003 and 2010 and not one of them were able to retain the title.

In fact, only one team – the Pittsburgh Penguins – made it to consecutive finals during that period.

You have to go back to 1998 to find the last time a team was able to retain the Stanley Cup, when the Detroit Red Wings won the title for consecutive seasons.

Backing against the previous season’s winners in the NHL betting is one bet well worth considering.

Don’t count on tradition when looking at the NHL betting

The most successful side in the history of the Stanley Cup is the Montreal Canadiens who have made an incredible 34 final appearances and won the competition on 24 separate occasions.

However, since the expansion of the NHL to 30 teams, they have got nowhere near their previous dominance and haven’t won the Stanley Cup since 1993.

Looking around for emerging teams could pay dividends in the NHL betting.