Christmas is rapidly approaching ladies and gentlemen. However, do remember that this time of year can get a little hectic. Santa Claus will be dropping off presents in about two weeks time. What might be under the NHL sports betting tree?
We dig into a variety of futures and more. Now, there are December bets just for this month. Most teams play a good deal but remember the NHL is off on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. It sets up for a bit of an imbalanced schedule or something most fans and bettors are not quite used to.
The 2025-2026 NHL season got off to a flying start with several teams enjoying hot streaks. Unfortunately, injuries set in and have derailed some while others have thrived. The Colorado Avalanche stand as the league’s best team at 21-2-7. No, that is not a misprint.
By all means, examine all our Las Vegas Stanley Cup odds for 2025-26. Now, let us see what is under the Christmas tree with some 2025-26 NHL Christmas Bets. These wagers are more mixed than usual. The table below focuses on the latest Stanley Cup numbers.
| NHL Stanley Cup Odds December |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | +320 | +300 | +325 |
| Carolina | +700 | +650 | +650 |
| Tampa Bay | +800 | +750 | +800 |
| Florida | +850 | +850 | +800 |
| Vegas | +900 | +800 | +800 |
| Dallas | +1000 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Edmonton | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
NHL Christmas Bets lead off with the latest Stanley Cup odds. Most people forget we are about 30 games in. The Christmas roster freeze is later next week already. Yes, time is flying by. Colorado did not open as the favorites but were right up there. Now, they are the dominant favorite (as low as +300 up to +325). It is probably not the best time to bet on them obviously. However, they have played lights out hockey all season.
This regular season has truly been different in every way. Quietly though, the teams expected to do well have started to move up in the numbers. Carolina, Florida, and Tampa Bay are around where they were to start in October. Even Vegas, Dallas, and Edmonton have floated back to the surface. The futures have become cyclical. Also, this is because of the volatility.
The big worry for those eyeing any team is all the injuries. Currently, around 150 NHL players are out with some sort of injury or illness. Several factors account for this including the Olympic year, condensed schedule, and fear of further injury. Also, there have been several kitchen/restaurant mishaps which have padded totals unfortunately.
Colorado could remain the favorites from the Western Conference. With the 1-2 punch of goaltending (Scott Wedgewood and MacKenzie Blackwood), Colorado has enough scoring from Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar among others to stick here until April and maybe beyond.
The NHL Christmas Bets focus on playoff exact results next. These often start to take shape in December. An old adage says that 75% of the teams in playoff position around Thanksgiving stay there come April. Honestly, this is pretty accurate. The exact average in the last couple decades is 77%.
Some funny quirks include looking at who is second in an NHL division this time of year. They appear to have the best odds of snagging a playoff spot. Little quirks have surfaced since COVID. The 2023-24 season saw several collapses (most notably the New York Rangers). A macro or bigger picture often paints something different than what we see during the third month of the hockey season.
As tempting as things are, the Winnipeg Jets are now plus money to make the playoffs. The Connor Hellebuyck knee injury will keep him out a few weeks but the Olympics loom for Team USA’s starting goalie. Load management will be a reality before and after the Olympic Break. Winnipeg was a -500 favorite at one point in October. New Jersey was off the board but the Jack Hughes injury has them as low as -225 now via BetOnline.
Alas, some fun potential wagers here include Toronto at -110, Utah at +105, and the Kings to miss the playoffs at +450. The final one carries a ton of risk but Los Angeles is only getting older and this season is a brute come March and April.
Yes, NHL Christmas bets now look at the Presidents Trophy race. Colorado is the big favorite here at -200 to -250. However, Dallas and Carolina may have the biggest say here. The concern with the Avalanche is when does the goaltending fall back to Earth. Colorado WILL NOT have .920 goaltending the entire season. Consider league average is around or slightly below .900.
With injuries to several teams including Carolina’s goaltending, even the Hurricanes might have a problem mounting a charge. They are 11 points back of Colorado. However, Dallas is two points back even with the Avalanche having a game in hand. This is the race to keep watching. It has been all season so far.
Colorado was +800 to finish October with the most points. We hedged between Minnesota and Colorado. This allowed us to profit fortunately. Talk about a lot of luck here. It hurt the Wild and boosted the Avalanche immensely. Otherworldly starts from MacKinnon, Makar and Wedgewood buoyed the result. Dallas still may be the better team overall but they have missed more man games to injury.
So, at +600, Dallas remains the one team right now that can overtake Colorado here.
Before making any bets, check out the current NHL online Las Vegas odds. Being aware of the latest Vegas betting site bonuses too helps this time of year.
