Colorado Avalanche are Consensus Betting Favorite

The NHL season is in full swing, and the Colorado Avalanche are the consensus betting favorite to win the 2026 Stanley Cup.

The Avs beat the Tampa Bay Lightning, currently the second betting favorite, to win their most recent Stanley Cup in 2022.

As of publication, here are Stanley Cup odds for top NHL teams at FanDuel:

Colorado boasts a record of 33-4-7, leading the Central Division with 73 points.

Center Nathan MacKinnon leads the team in goals (36), assists (42), and points (78). MacKinnon also leads the NHL in points and goals with those marks.

Cale Makar is one of the league’s best defenseman, and the goaltending duo of MacKenzie Blackwood (13-1-1) and Scott Wedgewood (19-3-4) rank 1-2 in goals against average.

Other Top ‘Cup’ Contenders

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning are riding a nine-game winning streak that included a 4-2 win over Colorado early this month. Nikita Kucherov ranks fourth in the NHL in points (22 goals and 43 assists).

The Lightning (27-13-3) trails the Red Wings by a point in the Atlantic Division. Tampa Bay will host Boston in an outdoor game on February 1.

Vegas Golden Knights

Vegas won the first Stanley Cup in franchise history back in 2023, six years after joining the league. The Knights (21-11-12) lead the Pacific Division with 54 points. Center Jack Eichel leads VGK in points (48) and shots on goal (139).

Carolina Hurricanes

Carolina is a perennial playoff contender, but the Canes can’t get over the hump to win their second Stanley Cup. The first came in 2006. Carolina leads the Metropolitan Division with 59 points.

Starting goalie Brandon Bussi has been stellar in net, with a record of 16-2-1 and a 2.28 goals against average. Carolina will try to avenge its loss to the Panthers in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals this time around.

Florida Panthers

Last year, the Panthers went on to win their second straight Stanley Cup over the Edmonton Oilers. Florida plays in the highly competitive Atlantic Division. The Panthers (23-18-3) are nine points off the division lead behind front-running Detroit.

Florida is currently without its emotional leader, Brad Marchand (undisclosed injury), who leads the team with 23 goals and 46 points. Making matters worse, the team’s most dynamic player, Matthew Tkachuk hasn’t played all season after injuries suffered while playing for Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off last year.

Most Recent Stanley Cup Winners & Preseason Odds

Here’s a look at the last 10 winners of the Stanley Cup and their preseason odds (via SportsOddsHistory.com):

• 2025: Florida Panthers (+900)
• 2024: Florida Panthers (+2000)
• 2023: Vegas Golden Knights (+1800)
• 2022: Colorado Avalanche (+600)
• 2021: Tampa Bay Lightning (+900)
• 2020: Tampa Bay Lightning (+675)
• 2019: St. Louis Blues (+3000)
• 2018: Washington Capitals (+1125)
• 2017: Pittsburgh Penguins (+1100)
• 2016: Pittsburgh Penguins (+1300)