Betting the 2024-25 NHL Playoffs

It has been something else as the 2024–25 NHL season draws to a close. At the start of the season, the Winnipeg Jets were more of an afterthought. In the present, the Jets are the top team in the Central Division and the winner of the NHL President’s Trophy that goes to the team with the league’s best record.

For the Washington Capitals this season, Alex Ovechkin was outstanding. Like the Jets, the Caps were not expected to win their division, but they did. Ovechkin beat the career goal mark of the Great One, Wayne Gretzky, leading the Capitals to the Metropolitan Division crown. The Capitals were the Eastern Conference’s best team in terms of record.

Although the Winnipeg Jets had the best record in the league at the end of the regular season, they are not even close to being the 2024–25 Stanley Cup favorites. The Florida Panthers currently hold that distinction. The Panthers are the favorite because of their strong defense and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. 

Interestingly, the Panthers didn’t win their division. They didn’t even place second. With a record of 47-31-4, they finished in third place. Nevertheless, the Panthers defense is difficult to beat and Bobrovsky is one of the NHL’s top goalies with a goals against average of 2.44. 

Favorites to Win 2024-25 Stanley Cup

Dallas Stars (+800) at BetUS.com

The Dallas Stars use defense to win games. Oettinger is among the league’s best goalkeepers. The Stars’ penalty killing unit is ranked fifth (82.1%) and their defense is ranked sixth in terms of goals against average (2.68). In addition, Dallas boasts two players who score 80 points (Matt Duchene & Jason Robertson) and three players who score 30 goals (Duchene, Robertson, and Wyatt Johnston). They will be a threat in the Stanley Cup playoffs with that offensive output.

Winnipeg, who defeated the Stars in three of their four games this season, will finish at least six points ahead of the Central Division runners-up. It’s interesting to note that during the last two weeks of the season, Dallas dropped six straight games. 

Florida Panthers (+700) at Sportsbetting.ag

Dallas is similar to the Panthers. Neither the Stars nor Florida were able to win their division. Florida placed third in the Atlantic Division, behind Tampa Bay, the runner-up, and champion Toronto. Similar to Dallas, the Panthers lost seven of ten games at one point during the final two weeks of the regular season.

The Panthers are designed to make it to the postseason. In addition to his 2.44 goals against average, Bobrovsky finished the season with a save percentage of .906 and 33 victories. With 39 goals and 81 points, Sam Reinhart was the offensive leader. The Panthers went 10-10 straight up against every team in the Eastern Conference that has already secured a postseason berth.

Colorado Avalanche (+750) at Everygame.eu

Only seven different teams have competed for a Stanley Cup since the 2020–21 season. Six if you exclude the one anomaly, which was Montreal during the COVID year. Colorado was one of them. The Avs have advanced to the conference semifinals five times in the last six seasons. In 2021–2022, they took home the Stanley Cup.

Two of the league’s top ten scorers are from Colorado. D Cale Makar (30 goals) is ranked ninth in the NHL, while Nathan MacKinnon is ranked second. The Avalanche offense is among the top 10 in the majority of offensive categories and ranks fifth in scoring. The Avs offense is too strong for teams to ignore. With an average of 2.82 goals per game, the defense is ranked eleventh. 

Mackenzie Blackwood was acquired from San Jose at the trade deadline. He won 22 of his 37 starts and posted a 2.33 GAA and a .913 save percentage. He gives Colorado a quality goaltender that can get the job done as long as the Avs offense continues to have success.

2024-25 Stanley Cup Longshot Bet 

The team with the league’s best record at the end of the regular season is the best Stanley Cup longshot, which is almost unbelievable. After dominating the NHL season, Winnipeg won the President’s Trophy and finished with the most wins and points.

At the moment, Connor Hellebuyck is the world’s best goalie. He finished this season with an absurd 46 wins and led the NHL in most goaltending categories. He finished first in the NHL with a 2.01 GAA. The offense doesn’t have to do much with him in the Jets’ net, but they still do it. With an average of 3.37 goals per game, Winnipeg ranks fourth in the NHL in terms of scoring.

2024-25 Stanley Cup Prediction

The Stanley Cup in 2024–25 still depends on a few factors. One is simply getting through this run of games. The Stanley Cup playoffs could go all the way to June 23, the final date that a potential Game 7 in the Stanley Cup finals could be played. The teams that make the Stanley Cup finals could play up to 28 games in the next two months in order to have their names etched on the Lord Stanley’s Cup. 

Playing through the postseason in previous years is undoubtedly beneficial. The advantage of having advanced to the finals in recent years belongs to Dallas, Florida, Colorado, and Edmonton. Defense wins championships is how the saying goes, but is that always the case?

One team in the recent past won a Stanley Cup without an elite defense. That’s because its offense was outstanding. Many of those same players are still on that team and, once again, the team’s offense is very good. That team, of course, is Colorado. The Avalanche have the ability to score on anyone and this season they have a defense that can bring another Stanley Cup.

See Also:

Five Contenders for a Stanley Cup Run in the NHL Playoffs