The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs start on Saturday and will see four rounds of Postseason play on the frozen water with 16 teams starting in Round 1, eight making Round 2, four in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference Finals, and those two winners in the Stanley Cup Final.
One team who won’t be playing in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs in last year’s champions, the Florida Panthers, who didn’t make the cut in the East and will enjoy their Postseason watching from the warm comfort of their couches with remotes in their hands instead of hockey sticks.
Having just as disappointing of a season as Florida in the East was the Toronto Maple Leafs, one of the NHL’s Original Six, and a team who failed to qualify for the Big Ice Dance for the first time since the 2015-16 season and a team who won’t be giving Canada a chance to win Lord Stanley’s Cup.
Who improved in the East to take the place of the Panthers, Leafs, and Caps? The Sabres, Les Habs, Penguins, and Flyers all impressed, but Atlantic winners Buffalo really stood out with HC Lindsey Ruff, the likely NHL Jack Adams winner, a market we analyzed in The Prediction Report last week.
Round 1 of the 109th NHL Playoffs will and its blue hour and neon glow will run from Saturday, April 18 to its conclusion with best-of-7 series at the four higher seeded (1-4) teams in each conference followed by Round 2 and its survivors in the Eastern and Western conference Finals.
In the United States, the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs will be televised on ESPN and ABC and can be found on the ESPN App while in Canada—seeking its first Stanley Cup champion since 1993 (Montréal Canadiens)—the Postseason can be seen on Sportsnet, CBC, and TVA Sports.
A potential winner-take-all Stanley Cup Game 7 would be on the first day of Summer, June 21,
Avalanche Favorites in NHL Stanley Cup Winner Market
The Avalanche were the best team in the 2025-26 NHL Regular Season, and traders at Polymarket are backing Nathan MacKinnon and Colorado (22%) to win the Stanley Cup this time around and with the best Goal Differential (+97) and Road record (29-7-5) in professional hockey.
Following in the trading order on April 8 were the Tampa Bay Lightning (14%), Carolina Hurricanes (14%), Vegas Golden Knights (7%), Edmonton Oilers (7%), Buffalo Sabres (5%), Montréal Canadiens (4%), Ottawa Senators (4%), Dallas Stars (4%), and Minnesota Wild (4%).
The big longshots in the 2026 Stanley Cup winner market are Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and the Pittsburgh Penguins (3%), Utah Mammoth (3%), Boston Bruins (2%), Philadelphia Flyers (2%), Anaheim Ducks (2%), and the Los Angeles Kings (1%).
➤Trading Thoughts: The Panthers absence should make handicapping this market easier, with the Lightning, Hurricanes, and maybe the Sabres (26-10-5 at Home) able to come out of the Eastern Conference and Cole Makar and the Avalanche the team to beat in the Western Conference.
Both Makar and Nazem Kadri were nursing injuries, but should be fine for the NHL Playoffs for the Avs who’ve gotten great goaltending from Scott Wedgewood (30-6-6, 2.07 GA) and Mackenzie Blackwood (23-10-2, 2.51 GA) and may face the Oilers again in the Western Conference Finals.
Carolina (29-10-2 at Home) always shines during the Regular season but never seems to make the conference finals, so a Lightning-Sabres winner may face the Penguins in the Eastern Finals. Colorado has been too focused this season not to recommend. Trading Pick: Avalanche, Yes 22.5¢
Kalshi Volume on The Masters Eclipses Super Bowl LIV
Popular prediction market exchange Kalshi set yet another new record on Sunday, April 12, generating more than $545 million in trading volume on the 2026 PGA The Masters Tournament, becoming the most-bet on sporting event in the history of the $20 billion company.
In February, Super Bowl LIV generated around $1 billion in volume but the annual NFL championship game event was spread across a wide number of different markets involving the game and Props off the field over much longer trading windows, especially the NFL winner market.
The 2026 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments—March Madness—combined to draw approximately $500 million in volume at Kalshi alone, so thoughts Sports trading would taper off or die after the NCAAF College Football season and NFL Super Bowl are put in perspective now.
Kalshi’s “The Masters Champion” market had $460 million in trades and helped the company set a new total platform volume for the week record of $3.4 billion. This puts “The Masters Champion” as the #2 most-traded in Kalshi history behind “Who Will Win the Presidential Election?” (2024).
Northern Ireland legend Rory McIlroy won The Masters for a second straight year, holding off the PGA’s #1-ranked golfer, Scottie Scheffler by one stroke at bucolic Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia last Sunday to earn himself a second Green Jacket and another big smile.
Golf traders liked the popularity and high liquidity of The Masters as well as the 4-day aspect of the first PGA major of the year, giving them plenty of opportunities to buy in, hedge, or sell out of positions.
The next PGA major will be the 2026 PGA Championship from Aronimink Golf Club in Delaware County (Newtown Square), Pennsylvania from May 14-17. At Kalshi, top-ranked Scheffler (21%) leads the PGA Championship winner market followed by McIlroy (11%) a month away from tee off.
Polymarket Announces Future Plans, Stablecoin
Ahead of new expansion and an ongoing overhaul of their trading platform and infrastructure, $20 billion company Polymarket unveiled its plans last week for a major upgrade and to release a new 1:1 USDC (CRYPTO: $USDC) backed stablecoin called “Polymarket USD.”
Described by Polymarket as a ”full exchange upgrade.” it will also include a rebuilt trading engine and smart contracts updates. The new token will replace the Ethereum (ETH)-originated USDC.e, a bridged version of the Circle USDC stablecoin wrapped for use on various other chains.
2026 D1 College Baseball Winner at Kalshi
The 2026 NCAA College Baseball season winds down and now is the best time to shop for the best contract prices with the 64-team, double-elimination 2026 NCAA D1 Regionals starting on May 29 with Selection Show on Monday, May 29 (ESPN, ESPN+).
Is there such a thing as May Madness? The Regionals will be contested from May 29 to June 1 in the start of the “Road to Omaha” followed by the Super Regionals (June 5-8), and the 2026 College World Series from Charles Schwab Field Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska (June 12-21).
Kalshi traders have made #1-ranked UCLA (33-3) favorites in the ‘College Baseball D1 Champion’ market at 17% with #3 Georgia Tech (26-5) at 12%, #2 Texas (26-5) at 11%, Mississippi State (7%), Georgia (7%), Texas A&M (6%), NC (5%), Florida and LSU at 4% and Auburn and Arkansas at 3%.
The longshots at 2% on April 15 included Alabama, Arizona State, Coastal Carolina, Clemson, FSU, Kentucky, Miami (FL), Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Oregon State, Southern Miss, Virginia, and USC.
➤Trading Thoughts: This is a wide-open race and the key is buying who’ll make it to Omaha and the CWS in June. Sixteen different teams made it the last 2 years. With just 2 losses, expect UCLA (17¢)—who won 27 straight—in with SS with projected 2026 MLB Draft #1 pick Roch Cholowsky.
Backing #4 Georgia (7¢), who have some sluggers in their lineup in Daniel Jackson (16 HR), Tre Phelps (14 HR), Kolby Branch (13 HR), and Brennan Hudson (12 HR), seems wise as does buying #6 North Carolina (5¢) with ace RHPs Ryan Lynch and Jason DeCaro and 3B Gavin Gallaher.
Two good cheap longshots are, #22 Arkansas (3¢) who have four MLB prospects in RHP Gabe Gaeckle, C Ryder Helfrick, LHP Hunter Dietz, and RHP Carson Wiggins, and #8 Alabama (2c) with star SS Justin Lebron . Trading Picks: UCLA, 17¢), Georgia (7¢), NC (5¢), Arkansas (3¢), Alabama (2¢)
2026 Major League Baseball Worst Record at Kalshi
The 2026 MLB Regular Season is almost one month in and we are starting to see which teams have gotten off to surprise starts and which teams have disappointed on the diamond as the 162-game season begins to take shape.
Knowing who loses is always a good trading (and betting) angle in prediction markets and sports gambling and in MLB, there have been two teams who have really put the ‘suck’ in ‘sucks’ in the AL’s Chicago White Sox (167-333 L3 years) and the NL’s Colorado Rockies (169-331 L3 years).
At Kalshi in the ‘Worst Record in Pro Baseball’ market, the Colorado Rockies (46%) are way ahead of those poor Chicago White Sox (29%), followed by the Washington Nationals (14%), Houston Astros (9%), St Louis Cardinals (6%), LA Angels (3%) and Minnesota Twins (3%).
This season, the team which has gotten off to the worst start have been the White Sox, Giants, and Rockies—all sporting 6-12 (.333 winning %) records after 18 games—with the Red Sox, Royals, and Mets were all 7-11 and the enigmatic Astros 8-11 who had scored the 2nd most Runs (105).
➤Trading Thoughts: The NL had 13 of 15 teams at .500 or better, so looking at a team from the Junior Circuit is the best idea? Nope. Keep it simple, man. Colorado and Chicago always fade. The Tigers and Mariners will improve, have great pitching, and may even win their respective divisions.
The Pale Hose play in the AL Central with the Tigers, Guardians, Royals, and Twins while The Rocks call the NL West home and with the defending World Series-winning Dodgers, Padres, Diamondbacks, and Giants, have the harder schedule. Trading Pick: Colorado Rockies, Yes 48¢
2026 RBC Heritage Teed Off at Hilton Head Thursday
We just saw the first major of the 2026 PGA season completed with Rory McIlroy defending his Green Jacket at the 2026 The Masters Tournament last weekend at Augusta, and this week, the PGA Tour heads to the Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, SC for the RBC Heritage.
Round 1 of the tournament, aka the Heritage Classic, tees off in the Palmetto State on Thursday (ESPN+, PGA Tour Live, Golf Channel). Last year, Justin Thomas won the 2025 RBC Heritage. This tourney was first played in 1969 and traditionally follows The Masters. Leave the Pieces.
A Kalshi, traders have Scottie Scheffler (18%) to win the 2026 RBC Heritage followed by Xander Schauffele (5.6%), Matt Fitzpatrick (5.6%), Russell Henley (5.4%), Cameron Young (4.8%), Tommy Fleetwood (3.8%), Ludvig Åberg (3.7%), Colin Morikawa (3.5%), and Patrick Cantlay (3.4%).
Jordan Spieth (2.9%), Si Woo Kim (2.9%), Maverick McNealy (2.4%), Jake Knapp (2.4%), Robert McIntyre (2.3%), Viktor Hovland (2.3%), Sam Burns (2.2%), Sepp Straka (1.9%), Jacob Bridgeman (1.6%), Brian Harman (1.6%), and last year’s champ Justin Thomas (1.5%) followed in trading order.
➤Trading Thoughts: The way Scheffler, Young and Schauffele chased McIlroy at The Masters showed how well they are playing and one of these three should win. CBS will air Rounds 3 and 4 of the RBC Heritage Classic on Saturday and Sunday (6 EDT/5 CDT/3 PDT). Trading Picks: Scottie Scheffler, Yes 18¢, Cameron Young, Yes 4.8¢
Chelsea FC vs Manchester United in EPL on Saturday
The 2025-26 EPL season continues to wane and this weekend will see Chelsea (13-9-10) facing Manchester United (15-10-7) in Stamford Bridge (GrassMaster by Tarkett Sports) showdown in West London on Saturday (Telemundo, Peacock, 12 EDT/11 CDT/10 MDT/9 PDT).
The Red Devils are in 3rd place and looking to lock down a 2026-27 UEFA Champions League berth while the struggling Blues may need a miracle to return to the UCL and are sadly more likely fighting for a spot in the 2026-27 UEFA Europa League. Both clubs are coming off losses.
Soccer traders at Polymarket are backing hosts Chelsea FC (44%) over visitors Manchester United FC (31%) in Londontown with the Draw trading at 27%. The Total (goals) at 2.5 (Over, Yes, 63¢, No 38¢). The Both Teams To Score Prop (‘Yes’) bet is priced at 66¢ (No 36¢).
➤Trading Thoughts: Chelsea has had a very disappointing season, falling out of UCL positioning in the EPL table after a decent start then running to the middle of nowhere with the Blues also being blasted and embarrassed by defending UEFA Champions League winners PSG in the Round of 16.
When these two met at Old Trafford earlier this season, João Pedro (14 goals), Cole Palmer (9 goals) and Chelsea lost 2-1 in September but the two teams are 2-1-2 in the last 5 overall with both scoring 8 times and the Both Teams To Score (BTTS) Prop (‘Yes’) cashing in at 4-1.
Looking at a larger sample size, we see that the Home team has been tepid in this rivalry, going 8-8-4 (W-D-L) the last 20. Over those 20 meetings, the BTTS Prop (‘Yes’) went a profitable 13-7 in matches averaging well over 3.0 GPG. Don’t let me down. Trading Picks: Draw 27¢, BTTS, Yes 66¢
Copa del Rey Final: Atlético vs Real Sociedad Saturday
Atlético Madrid faces Real Sociedad in the 2026 Spanish Cup Final from La Cartuja (Grass) in Seville on Saturday (ESPN Deportes, ESPN+, 22:00 CEST, 3 ET/2 CT/12 PT). Barcelona are the defending champions in this tourney, but the Catalans were bounced by Atleti in the Semifinals.
Atlético got here by beating Real Betis in the Round of 8 (5-1 aggregate) and Barça in the aforementioned Semis (4-3), winning at Home in Madrid (4-0) and losing the return Barcelona leg (0-3). RSO ousted Elche (2-1) in the Quarterfinals and Athletic Bilbao in the Semifinals (2-0).
Polymarket traders are buying ‘Yes’ contracts on visitors Atlético Madrid (53%) over Real Sociedad (21%) at the Spanish Cup Final with a Draw trading at 27%, The Total (goals) at 2.5 (Over, Yes, 50¢, No 51¢) while the Both Teams To Score Prop bet was priced at 54¢ (‘Yes’).
➤Trading Thoughts: Both clubs automatically qualified for the four-team 2027 Supercopa de España and Antoine Griezmann and Atlético Madrid are the deserved favorites here with the Rojiblancos still alive in the 2025-26 UCL Semifinals after ousting none other than Barça.
With vet Griezmann, Julián Álvarez, and Alexander Sørloth on the attack, Atlético will be hard to beat. In the last 5 meetings—all in Spanish LALIGA—Atleti is 3-2-0 (W-D-L) vs the Txuri-Urdin (White and Blues), outscoring them 11-4 in the process. Trading Pick: Atlético Madrid, Yes 53¢
Massive MCFC vs Arsenal EPL Showdown on Sunday
English Premier League (EPL) leaders Arsenal (21-7-4, 62 GF-24 GA) will face 2nd-place Manchester City (19-7-5, 63 GF-28 GA) in a big match at the Etihad Stadium (Desso GrassMaster) in Greater Manchester, England on Sunday (NBC, Telemundo, 11:30 EDT/10:30 CDT/8:30 PDT).
Polymarket traders are buying ‘Yes’ contracts on Erlin Haaland and host Manchester City (54%) over Arsenal FC (26%) in Sky Blue Mancunia with a Draw trading at 22%. The Total (goals) at 2.5 (Over, Yes, 50¢, No 51¢). The Both Teams To Score Prop (‘Yes’) bet is priced at 54¢ (No 49¢).
➤Trading Thoughts: With Gabriel Martinelli and Arsenal too far up the table to catch, this one will be more about pride and keeping whatever false hope the Citizens have alive for the time being. Arsenal hasn’t won an EPL title since 2003-04, so this will be sweet, no matter what happens here.
Arsenal, who ousted Sporting CP in the Quarterfinals of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League tournament this week, tied MCFC, 1-1 in North London in the first meeting between these two powers and the Gunners are 1-3-1 the last 5 meetings (8 GF-6 GA). Anthony Taylor is the Referee.
These two played for silverware last month in the 2026 Carabao Cup Final at Wembley Stadium on March 22, 2026 with the Sky Blues winning 2-0 behind a brace from Nico O’Reilly (60’, 64’).
Three of the last five EPL meetings have been Draws. No one is catching Arsenal for the title and no one is catching noisy neighbors City for 2nd place, so despite the big names and 1st and 2nd places in the EPL table, this match is meaningless. Trading Picks: MCFC 54¢, Under 3.5, Yes 72¢
Bundesliga: Bayern Welcomes VfL Stuttgart on Sunday
On Sunday, first-place Bayern Munich (24-4-1, 105 GF-27 GA, +78 GD) welcomes now 3rd-place VfB Stuttgart (17-5-7, 60 GF-38 GA, +22 GD) to Allianz Arena (Hybrid Grass) in Munich, Germany for a big Bundesliga match (ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, ESPN+, 11:30 EDT/10:30 CDT/8:30 PDT).
Harry Kane (21 goals), Michael Olise (11 goals), and defending German league champions and European giants Bayern Munich (70%) are being backed by Polymarket traders Vfb Stuttgart (14%) with a Draw at 17% and the Total (goals) at 3.5 (Over, Yes, 62¢, No 40¢).
➤Trading Thoughts: When these two met earlier this 2025-26 German Bundesliga season, Bayern rolled to a 5-0 victory as Kane had a hat trick and the visitors scored 4 times in the 2nd Half at MHPArena in Stuttgart on December 6, 2026 with GK Junar Urbig getting the clean sheet.
In the last 5 German Bundesliga meetings—four in Stuttgart—Manuel Neuer and Bayern are 4-1-0, outscoring Die Roten 15-5 and going 3-0-1 in the Road results. Vfb Stuttgart’s last goal at Munich was on September 10, 2022 and Bayern haven't lost at Home to Stuttgart since 2018 (1-4).
Deniz Udvaz (18 goals) and the visitors are fighting for a valuable UEFA Champions League berth for next season and should hang for 30 minutes at Allianz before Kane, Luis Díaz (15 goals), Serge Gnabry (8 goals), and Lennart Karl (5 goals) unload. Trading Pick: Bayern Munich -1.5 Goals, Yes 50¢
Phillies Hosting the Braves on Sunday Night Baseball
On Sunday night, the Peacock network and the Peacock streaming service will air an NL East battle between Bryce Harper and the Phillies (8-10) and Braves (12-7) from Citizens Bank Ballpark (Kentucky Bluegrass) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (NBC, Peacock, 7:20 EDT/6:20 PDT/4:20 PDT).
Kalshi MLB traders give Brandon Marsh and the Philadelphia Phillies a 4.1% chance to win the 2026 World Series with Ronald Acuña and the Atlanta Braves trading at 5.4%. At one point last week, 13 of the 15 National League teams had .500 records or better in a rare statistical oddity.
➤Trading Thoughts: The Braves were 5-8 vs the Phillies in the 2025 MLB Regular Season including a 2-5 mark in the City of Brotherly Love and Atlanta (106 RF-72 RA, +34 RD) has started off the 2026 MLB Regular Season with a 4-3 Road record with Philadelphia going 5-7 at Home.
The scheduled Starting Pitchers (SP) from a distance were RHP Reynaldo López (1-0, 1.15 ERA, 0.96 WHIP)—involved and suspended for his part in a brawl with the Guardians Jorge Soler—for the Braves and LHP Christopher Sanchez (1-1, 1.65 ERA, 1.35 WHIP) for the host Phillies.
Philadelphia outscored Atlanta, 39-24 in the 7 games at The Bank, but the +15 RD all came down to a Phillies 19-4 win where DH Kyle Schwarber blasted 4 HRs and had a team-record 9 RBI in the romp. But the Braves are really hitting and have the most Runs in MLB. Game Trading Pick: Braves
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➠In the next issue of The Prediction Report, we’ll look at the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, Stanley Cup matchups, Kalshi setting a new volume record on The Masters, a Eurovision 2026 update, the weekly Earnings calendar, Coppa Italia Semifinals previews, the AL Comeback Player of the Year Award, German Cup Semifinals previews along with two MLB game previews. Thanks for reading and subscribing..