KHL 2026/2027 Outright Predictions

The new hockey season is back with domestic leagues featuring top clubs from Europe and Asia. Particular attention in the new campaign will be focused on the Kontinental Hockey League, where teams will be looking to wrest another trophy away from Lokomotiv.

We analyzed the odds on the leading teams in the Western and Eastern Conferences and selected our bets on the outcomes of the KHL regular season.

KHL 2026/2027 Regular Season Winner Odds

KHL Western Conference

KHL Eastern Conference

Scores24 Outright Predictions for the KHL 2026/2027 Regular Season

Western Conference winner — Lokomotiv Yaroslavl

Odds: 2.90

After two consecutive championship seasons, Lokomotiv look like the leading contender to finish first in the Western Conference. Last regular season, the Yaroslavl club collected 98 points with a 185-135 goal difference, and over the summer they managed to keep the championship core together. Despite Bob Hartley's departure, the club did not change its playing philosophy and handed the team to Dmitry Kvartalnov, who knows Lokomotiv's system well from his previous spell in Yaroslavl. This change looks more like a continuation of an established model than the start of a new rebuild.

The preseason only strengthened that impression. Lokomotiv won four of their five games and completed their preparations by winning the Blinov Cup, where they beat Severstal in the final. Their main rival remains CSKA under Igor Nikitin. Lokomotiv already have a settled roster, a proven system and the stability that often becomes a decisive advantage over the long distance of a regular season.

Shanghai Dragons to make the playoffs — Yes

If we are looking for a potential breakout team this season, the Shanghai Dragons stand out. The club carried out a major roster rebuild over the summer, and the preseason has already produced encouraging signs: a win over Spartak and an entertaining game against Dinamo Minsk in which the teams combined for 12 goals. The revamped team looks far more interesting than last year's version and appears capable of surprising during the regular season.

Eastern Conference winner — Ak Bars Kazan

Odds: 5.50

If we are choosing a team capable of getting through the regular season more consistently than the rest, Ak Bars deserve attention. There were plenty of questions around the Kazan club during the summer. After reaching the Gagarin Cup final, the roster changed significantly, several important players left, and uncertainty around a number of others lasted almost until the start of the new season. At first glance, such a period should push a team backward. But this is exactly where the feeling emerges that Ak Bars could once again follow a familiar path.

A year ago, Kazan did not look like a team without weaknesses either. There were questions about both their play and the consistency of their results during the season, but closer to spring they gradually developed into one of the main Gagarin Cup contenders and reached the final. The situation now looks similar in many ways. There have certainly been plenty of losses, but after a season like that, extra motivation is rarely required.

Moreover, the new playoff format, in which the number of points matters more than a team's place in the regular-season standings, makes every regular-season point even more valuable. We would therefore not be surprised if Ak Bars started collecting points as pragmatically as possible from the opening months, trying to secure the most favorable position ahead of the playoffs. If backing the Kazan club to win the East feels too risky, expectations can be lowered slightly by taking them to win the Kharlamov Division at 3.5*.

You can follow match results, the latest data and odds in the Kontinental Hockey League section on our website.

*Odds are approximate, may vary between bookmakers and are accurate at the time of publication.