The puck drops on Game 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at 8 p.m. ET tonight. While not the matchup we all expected, this series should be a fun one. On one side, this Carolina Hurricanes squad finally broke through the conference to make its first appearance in the Final since winning it all two decades ago in 2006. On the opposite side of the ice are the Vegas Golden Knights, who underperformed in the regular season but turned up the intensity come postseason time, showing shades of the group that hoisted the Cup as recently as 2023.

In this article, we’ll take a look at the odds and betting splits on DraftKings Sportsbook for Golden Knights vs. Hurricanes in Game 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final.

Golden Knights vs. Hurricanes odds, betting splits on DraftKings Sportsbook

On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Hurricanes are -155 favorites on the Moneyline. The Golden Knights hold +130 odds of an outright upset and the game total sits at 5.5 combined goals.

Taking a look at the data from DraftKings Sportsbook users, bettors overwhelmingly favor Carolina in Game 1. On the Moneyline, the Hurricanes see 63% of total bets and 66% of betting handle in their favor compared to just 37% and 34% on the Golden Knights. The split in bet percentage is a bit more even at just 56% when it comes to the Canes covering the -1.5 puck line, but some bigger wagers are on them to cover since 86% of the betting handle leans that way. That means the Knights see 44% of bets to keep it within one goal but just 14% of the handle backing such an outcome.

As for the game total, 72% of bets and 69% of the handle is on over 5.5 goals tonight. There’s a hot goalie on both sides of the matchup, but bettors clearly favor the offenses to get going early.

The heavy lean towards Carolina doesn’t shock given how the club has dominated throughout this Stanley Cup Playoff run. The Eastern Conference champs became the first team to ever make the Cup Final with one or fewer losses in the postseason, going 12-1 over the first three rounds. Meanwhile, Vegas struggled throughout the regular season and went six games in both of its first two series, though a 4-0 sweep over the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final showcased this team’s ceiling.

You also can check back for all updated betting splits on DraftKings Network.

Most Popular Player Prop Bets

Here are the most popular player prop bets for the matchup tonight. All five are bets for the first goalscorer market, so be sure to get in on the action with DraftKings Sportsbook’s Ice Breaker promo for a shot at a share of $500,000 in Bonus Bets!

• Pavel Dorofeyev first goalscorer (+1300)
• Logan Stankoven first goalscorer (+1400)
• Seth Jarvis first goalscorer (+1300)
• Sebastian Aho first goalscorer (+1500)
• Mark Stone first goalscorer (+1900)

Stay tuned to DraftKings Network for a full preview and pick for tonight’s game, plus player props and anytime goalscorer picks!