There’s a multitude of ways to make money off the upcoming Stanley Cup Finals, which begin on June 15. However, series props is one of our favorite ways to do so. In this article, we’re giving you three of the best prop bets to make in the 2022 Stanley Cup. They’re yours for free if you read this article until the very end!
2022 Stanley Cup Finals: How Many Games Played Prop
The Stanley Cup prop market is loaded with different bets. However, a tried-and-true prop is on how many games are played in the whole series. It’s pretty straightforward with the following four betting options available at major online sportsbooks:
We’ll be completely upfront and say this series is going to be a close one. It almost HAS to be given the quality of both teams. For one, you have the two-time-reigning Cup champions, Tampa Bay. Their greatness goes without saying — especially in the salary cap era that makes three straight title visits incredibly difficult. Then there’s Colorado, who have the upper hand in several aspects, including home-ice advantage, rest (they will play Game 1 on eight full days off), the better regular-season and playoff record (12-2).
That’s why we’re immediately ruling out a sweep from the betting options and a five-game series is also highly unlikely. That whittles our options to either six games or seven.
We’re predicting this series ends in Game 6. Look, we’re already on record saying the Lightning will three-peat. Ultimately, we just trust them more since they’ve proven their grit already — not only in the two previous Finals appearances but this postseason itself. They’ve gone through a murder’s row of opponents out East, something the Avalanche can’t quite say. Colorado is talented, but we’re not convinced they have the mental fortitude to defeat a dynasty like Tampa Bay.
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2022 Stanley Cup Finals: Games That End In A Shutout
Alright, here’s a really fun prop bet: how many Stanley Cup matchups end with one of the teams being shutout from scoring completely? This is the type of bet you’ll only see available during the Finals at top NHL betting sites. Here’s how the odds are being pegged by these same betting sites:
| Outcome |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| 0 Shutouts | +150 | +150 |
| 1 Shutouts | +175 | +175 |
| 2 Shutouts | +900 | +900 |
| 3 Shutouts | +2800 | +2800 |
| 4 or more Shutouts | +10000 | +10000 |
Shutouts are not an immediate thought when you think of the Avalanche and Lightning — two of the best offenses around. Colorado can make the case for being the most potent attack in the whole league. They ranked one and two in the NHL in goals netted during the regular season (3.8 per game) and postseason so far (4.6), respectively. Tampa might not be equals statistically, but they certainly are in talent. You don’t reach three straight Finals if you can’t score with the best of ’em.
But you know what? We’re betting that one shutout happens at some point in this series. If it does, our prediction is that the Avalanche get blanked. That’s not to discredit its offense, which is every bit as good as advertised. It’s more because the Lightning have Andrei Vasilevskiy at goaltender and his as elite as they come. Vasilevskiy has the talent to will Tampa Bay to victory in this series and we wouldn’t be surprised if has a herculean shutout at least one time in the Cup.
2022 Stanley Cup Finals: Top Individual Goal Scorer
Since we’re on the topic of scoring or not scoring, this final prop pick centers on which player ends the series with the most times in the net. These next players are favored most to finish with that honor:
| Player | | |
|---|---|---|
| Mikko Rantanen | +600 | +600 |
| Nathan MacKinnon | +600 | +600 |
| Steven Stamkos | +700 | +700 |
| Nikita Kucherov | +700 | +700 |
| Gabriel Landeskog | +900 | +900 |
| Brayden Point | +900 | +900 |
| Nazem Kadri | +1400 | +1400 |
Like we said, we’re big on Vasilevskiy as goaltender. At the same time, we’re less confident in Colorado’s duo of Darcy Kuemper and Pavel Francouz. So we sense Tampa Bay will have an easier time getting into the net, which brings down our betting options on Lightning players.
Picking between Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos is tough, but we’re going with Kucherov. The winer is up to 23 points (seven goals, 16 assists) this postseason, which might be an appetizer of what’s to come in the Cup. Like he seemingly always does, we’re betting that Kucherov will elevate his game once more this series, which could vault him as the series top goal-scorer.
How To Bet On 2022 Stanley Cup Props?
Like we said earlier, there’s no shortage of 2022 Stanley Cup prop bets available. The three we covered above are our favorites, but it’s just a snippet of what’s out there. To get every single Stanley Cup odd in one spot, visit one of the bookmakers listed underneath this paragraph. Reference the below table (with reviews and bonus offer details) to help you find the best-rated online sportsbook for your needs!
About the Author
Eric is uniquely suited to be a writer for SBS. For one, he's a journalist by trade. Eric spent a large part of his career, covering sports — high school, college, and professional — for newspapers and online-based sites. However, Eric is a bettor himself too. He has first-hand experience hanging out in smoky sportsbooks and casinos, dealing with the ebbs and flows of gambling, and an understanding of how bookies operate. Both these unique qualities make him an expert bet picker for SBS. You'll also see Eric report on the sports betting industry as a whole.
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