Now that the regular season favorites have been eliminated from playoff contention, it’s time for the NHL Stanley Cup Final. Carolina has the home-ice advantage, while Vegas is looking to buck the odds for a second straight series.
Both the Golden Knights and the Hurricanes have one Stanley Cup in their franchises’ history. This is Carolina’s first trip to the SCF in two decades. Vegas has been here recently, winning it all back in 2023 against the Florida Panthers. We’ll find out which team can sustain their momentum starting Tuesday night in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Who are we picking to win the 2025-26 NHL Stanley Cup? We like the Golden Knights in six to seven games. VGK swept the President’s Cup winning Colorado Avalanche and are showing out-of-this-world rink defense led by goalie Carter Hart and team captain Mark Stone.
But it is close… Carolina was equally as impressive in winning four straight against the downtrodden Canadiens. Can Sebastian Aho lead the Hurricanes to their second Stanley Cup? We don’t think so, but Kalshi forecasters do. The Hurricanes are priced at 60 cents per contract on the prediction market platform.
Those predicting an upset can pick up the Golden Knights for 42 cents if you agree with us that VGK’s momentum is too strong for the Hurricanes to stop.
The ease in which the two Stanley Cup Finals contenders dominated their respective NHL conference championships has changed the prediction market landscape as we enter the 2025-26 Stanley Cup Final. All the data throughout the regular season pointed to the Avalanche being the team to beat.
Despite the physicality both teams have shown throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs, neither the Hurricanes nor the Golden Knights have any meaningful injuries to report. Expect both teams to be at their best Tuesday night when the puck drops.
Since fans have been shocked by the conference outcomes, there’s plenty of market movement for the Stanley Cup Final in the lead up to Game 1. Total market volume has already exceeded $50 million, and that’s before any ice hockey has been played.
If you’re looking for the biggest drop in terms of prediction markets, Kalshi has seen the Hurricanes -1.5 games line go down from 53 cents to 44 cents in recent hours. If the Hurricanes are able to get off to a great start, you can expect the “exact” series score lines (the ones in Carolina’s favor) to skyrocket.
The Vegas Golden Knights will visit Lenovo Center to take on the Carolina Hurricanes, starting Tuesday, in a best-of-7 series to decide the 2025-26 NHL Stanley Cup Winner. Action starts at 8:00 Eastern Time and will be broadcast on ABC.
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