Stanley Cup 2023: NHL Conference Finals Preview & Betting News

The 2022/23 National Hockey League season has reached the business end, with four teams still in the running to win the Stanley Cup.

The top UK betting apps rate the Carolina Hurricanes as the favourites to lift the trophy and they will fancy their chances of defeating the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights will go head-to-head in the Western Conference Finals and picking a winner in this series is no easy task.

The Stanley Cup play-offs are always fiercely contested, so read on as we assess each of the Conference Finals before looking at the latest betting news.

The Hurricanes’ defensive unit was ranked second in the NHL during the regular season and they have continued their excellent form into the play-offs.

They are rated as 2/1 favourites with Sportingbet to win the Stanley Cup and that looks a fair assessment of their chances of emerging victorious.

New York Islanders proved to be no match for them in the first round, while the New Jersey Devils were blown away in round two.

The Panthers have defied expectations to progress to the Conference Finals, beating the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs to reach this point.

However, the Hurricanes’ tough defence makes them a tough but to crack and they look a good bet to qualify for the Stanley Cup Finals.

There was little to choose between the Golden Knights and the Stars in the Western Conference during the regular season, with just three points separating them after 82 games.

The Golden Knights breezed past Winnipeg Jets in round one, before seeing off the highly-touted Edmonton Oilers in the second round.

The Stars looked good against Minnesota Wild in the opening round, but were pushed to seven games by Seattle Kraken in round two.

Recent history favours the Golden Knights, with the top seeded team in the West progressing to the finals more than their Eastern counterparts since the turn of the century.

However, with the benefit of home advantage in the potential Game 7 decider, the Stars may be the value bet to knock out the Golden Knights.