NHL Best Bets: Hockey Teams With the Best Returns in Recent Seasons

Hockey betting may not get the same level of attention as other major US markets, but it has continuously risen in popularity. The grueling 82 game regular season gives sports bettors ample opportunity to wager on their favorite teams. But which team has been the most favorable to bettors over the recent seasons? Action Network has examined the data to determine which teams are provide the NHL best bets.

We’ve analyzed results for each franchise from the last five seasons and recorded the overall winnings if you’d wagered $100 on a win before each game. We ranked each teams based on the results.

NHL Teams With the Highest Return On Investment Since 2021

First we looked at the most recent season to determine the team that was most profitable for bettors since 2021.

The Minnesota Wild took the top spot. If a bettor wagered $100 on the Wild to win each game from the beginning of 2021, they would have earned a profit of $1,055. The Wild provided a 6.9% return on investment.

The Florida Panthers rewarded bettors with a 6.4% return on any investment. A $100 wager on each Panthers game would have netted $991. 

The Colorado Avalanche would have returned 4.7% on bettor investments. that's a cumulative profit of $797. 

The New York Rangers ranked fourth among the NHL best bets since 2021. Their 5% ROI rate equates to a $793 profit. 

Carolina Hurricanes recorded the fifth-highest return on investment at 3.3%. Hurricanes backers would have pocketed $544 in total profits with a wager of $100 per game.

NHL Teams With the Highest Return on Investment Over the Past 5 Years

Minnesota Wild might have been the best team to bet on last season, but looking at results from the last five years, no team returned more than Tampa Bay Lightning. The team had a 6.7% return, which equates to $2,463 in winnings. 

The New York Rangers once again feature among the best teams to bet on. A 4% ROI over the last five years would have generated a nice payout of $1,257.

The St. Louis Blues rank third. A 3.1% return on investment would have made bettors $1,047 over the past five years. The New York Islanders trail slightly (3%), with a cumulative $1,018 in returns.

The Colorado Avalanche round out the five at 2.7% ROI. The defending Stanley Cup champions began their ascent in recent seasons, which shows in the team's $954 payout to bettors.

NHL Teams That Lost Bettors the Most Money Since 2021

Not every team can be a winner, right? Here are the teams that lost the most money for bettors since 2021 with a wager of $100 on each game.

The New Jersey Devils were the league’s worst bet since 2021. The team lost nearly twice as many wagers as they won. This equates to an average -24% return on any pregame bets. If you wagered $100 before each Devils game, you’d have lost $3,343.

Bettors would only have lost about $100 less since 2021 backing the Anaheim Ducks. The team's abysmal -23.3% return on investment would have wracked up $3,244 in losses.

The Chicago Blackhawks or Philadelphia Flyers had nearly identical losses since 2021 with -22% ROI. Blackhawks and Flyers bettors would have lost money to the tune of $3,064 and $3,063 respectively.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks saw losses exceeding $2,300. This works out at a -16.8% return on investment. 

NHL Teams That Lost Bettors the Most Money Over the Last 5 Years

Sadly, the New Jersey Devils ranked as the worst team to bet on over the last five years. A -17% return on investment since the 2017/18 season would mean bettors would be almost $5,000 down. 

The Anaheim Ducks again rank as the second-worst team to bet on. Their return of -14.8% over the last five years totals $4,309 in losses. 

San Jose Sharks returns to place third on this unfortunate list. The Sharks posted losses of $3,589 if you’d wagered $100 on them to win each game for the last five years. This works out at a -11.5% return on investment. 

The Detroit Red Wings rank fourth (-11%), with losses equaling $3,189, while the Chicago Blackhawks (-10.4%) round out the five worst NHL teams to bet on. The Blackhawks mediocre record means you’d have lost a not insignificant $3,136 if you’d wagered $100 before each game since the 2017/18 season.

With the latest NHL season underway, it’ll be interesting to see whether the statistically best teams to bet on continue to record strong returns. Hockey bettors should be sure to check out new user offers and regular NHL promotions from Barstool Sportsbook.