With the start of the season already behind us, the ongoing 2024/25 NHL is entering a very interesting point where we can start with some serious predictions regarding the middle and the end of the regular season. Best of all, it could even be time to talk Stanley Cup winners and the MVP of the league. Too soon? Perhaps, but for an average fan of the best hockey league on the planet, it is a discussion that never stops. However, for online sports bettors, the closer we get to the end of the season, the more interesting the talk becomes because of the money that is on the line. And for the fans of both pastime activities, watching sports and betting on it, the second half of the season is crucial.
The newest odds and NHL predictions are coming in thick and fast and it is time we paid some attention to some of the upcoming matchups. There are plenty of games to be played in the following weeks and punters need to know what to pay attention to the most. If you enjoy placing an occasional bet on these games, we have the best NHL betting odds for you. Read on to learn more about this as it will surely help you make a better informed decision. For a sports fan and bettor, there is no such thing as too much information and advice!
Current Standings
Before we move on to the odds and predictions, we need to first establish the current situation in the NHL. In the Eastern Conference, a lot is going on in both divisions. While there are clear disparities in form and quality, the standings do not always reflect it. For example, the Atlantic Division is quite neck and neck after the first 7 or so games played. Sure, some teams only played 4 or 5 games so far, but the standings are quite balanced. The Florida Panthers are on top with 4 wins, 2 losses, and 1 OTL after 7 games, good for 9 points. The Boston Bruins are second with 3 wins, 2 losses, and 1 OTL in 6 games, a total of 7 points. In the third place, we find the Tampa Bay Lightning who are the only Atlantic Division team to play just 4 games so far. Still, they are in third place with 3 wins and 1 loss, which gives them 6 points. An amazing thing here is their goal difference of 6, compared to the Bruins’ 1 and Panthers’ -1.
In the Metropolitan Division, things are a bit more clear at least with the two leading teams. The New Jersey Devils have a great start to the season as they opened the campaign with 5 wins, 2 losses, and 1 OTL in 8 games. They have 11 points and a goal difference of 7. However, they are not the most successful team in their division. That would be the New York Rangers, whose current record is 4 wins and 1 OTL after just 5 games played. Their goal difference? An amazing 14, the best in the whole league! They are on a tear and had they have played the same number of games, they would have probably been first. The third team only played 4 games and it is the Washington Capitals with 3 wins and a loss, good for 6 points and with a goal difference of 2.
In the Western Conference, things are quite similar with one of the divisions being slightly in front in terms of the leaders’ scores so far. The Central Division is full of amazing starts to the season, especially by the leading three teams. The Dallas Stars are in front with 5 wins and 1 loss in 6 games, 10 points, and a goal difference of 9. Right behind them is Utah Hockey Club with 4 wins, 1 loss, and 1 OTL, which comes down to 9 points and a 2-goal difference. In the third, we have the Winnipeg Jets. The Jeys only played 4 games so far but they won all 4, and in what a fashion considering their second-best goal difference in the league of 13. They are doing similar things to what the Rangers are doing in the East.
Last but not least, is the Pacific Division, where things are interesting as no teams are in front in terms of points or on a big streak. The team in front is the Calgary Flames with 4 wins and 1 OTL in 5 matches, which gives them 9 points. Their goal difference is a respectable 8. Behind them is Seattle Kraken with 6 games played, 4 wins, and 2 losses. This means 8 points and their goal difference is 3. The third team, and the final team in the whole division with a positive goal difference, are the Vegas Golden Knights. They have played 6 games so far and have 3 wins, 2 losses, and 1 OTL. Their goal difference is 3.
Upcoming Games and Odds
If you are eager to place some bets right now on the upcoming games, NHL picks and predictions give us plenty to choose from across the league. The three most immediate matches to follow and wager on are today’s games, starting with the Winnipeg Jets and Pittsburgh Penguins. The Jets are the favorites mostly due to their strong start and great form and the odds for them winning it are 1.58. The Penguins are the underdogs in this clash with odds of 2.45. In the other two games, the San Jose Sharks are playing the Colorado Avalanche and are the less-favored team to win. Their odds are only 3.20 with the Avalanche sitting comfortably at 1.37. The Anaheim Ducks have less chance of coming out on top in the game against the Los Angeles Kings, with their odds of 2.55 being less favorable than the LA team’s 1.55.
In these three games, there are also some rather favorable props odds where you bet on more niche aspects of a hockey game. Take the Ducks and Kinds game for example. The over/under bet, i.e. the total goals scored by both teams, offers 3 different bets. You can go with 5.5 goals, the over being 1.74 and under 2.06, but also 6 total goals for 1.94 over bet and 1.83 under bet. The Asian handicap bet on the Ducks is 1.5 and on the Kings it is -1.5. The odds for those are 1.61 and 2.28, respectively. The Draw No Bet gives the Anaheim team 2.65 odds, while the LA team is favored much better with 1.47. If you are feeling lucky and want to guess who scores the first goal, you can. The 1st goal bet favors the Kings at 1.66 while the Ducks are at 2.11. A very popular bet is the one where you pick the winning margin. Betting on the Ducks to win by 1 has the odds at 10.00, by 2 at 9.80, and by 3+ at 8.00. For the same margins, the Kings’ odds are 8.80, 6.60, and 3.30, respectively. If you think there is going to be a draw, it is 4.20 odds.
Seasonal Outright Bets
If you consider yourself a true hockey expert and if you are a seasoned fan of online hockey betting, how about committing some of your money to season-long bets? The most popular of these of course is the Stanley Cup winner where you pick a team to win it all and walk with the largest trophy in professional American sports. Of course, there are odds for that right now and they are constantly changing as the season goes on. The sooner you make the bet, the better the odds, but also the riskier the whole wager. In case you already have a hunch and want to test out your long-term sports luck, here is how the teams are stacking so far.
The team with the best current odds of winning the 2025 NHL Championship and lifting the Stanley Cup is the Edmonton Oilers with odds of 9.00. Behind them are the Dallas Stars with 10.00 and the Toronto Maple Leafs with 11.00. Rounding up the top 5 are the Florida Panthers and New Jersey Devils with the same odds, 12.00. NY Rangers (13.00), Colorado Avalanche (15.00), Carolina Hurricanes (15.00), and the Las Vegas Golden Knights (17.00) are all teams that could also win it. Those who are already without any chance are the San Jose Sharks. Their odds are 501.00, preceded by the Columbus Blue Jackets with 301.00 and the Anaheim Ducks, with 201.00. Again, it is very early, but there is not much these teams can hope for in terms of championship aspirations. There is also the bet of which country takes the Stanley, with the USA as the favorite over Canada, 1.25 to 4.00.
If that feels too far away, worry not. You can at least bet on the conference winners. While it is still too much time in the future, it is a slightly easier bet to guess. Right now, the New Jersey Devils have the highest chance of winning the Eastern Conference with their odds sitting at 5.75. They are followed by the Maple Leafs (6.25), Panthers (7.00), NY Rangers (7.50), and Carolina Hurricanes (8.50). In the Western Conference, the Edmonton Oilers are the frontrunners with 5.00 odds with the Dallas Stars breathing down their neck with 5.25. The Avalanche has plans of its own to bury them both with third-place odds of 7.50. The remaining two teams in the top 5 are the Golden Knights with 9.00 and the Vancouver Canucks with 10.00.
Individual Player Awards Odds
Other than teams coming out on top of their respective conferences or winning it all, wagering on season-long outcomes is also popular with individual players. And everyone knows there are plenty of player awards and trophies to go around.
For example, how about checking the current odds and predictions for the Hart Memorial Trophy? The best odds belong to Connor McDavid with 2.75, as he looks to be a lock for this award. He is followed by Nikita Kucherov with 7.50 and Nathan Mackinnon with 8.00. Not exactly a narrow race but who knows?
With the James Norris Memorial Trophy, it is another lopsided affair as Cale Makar is running away with his odds sitting comfortably at 2.85. Adam Fox (6.25) and Quinn Hughes (7.50) are the next two who will try to prove to the sportsbooks that they too are worthy of the award.
Alternatively, we have the Vezina Trophy. Here, things are a bit more intense as the first two on the list share the same odds right now. Igor Shesterkin and Connor Hellebuyck have their odds identical right now at 6.00. In third, we have Jake Oettinger with 8.00 while Jeremy Swayman is in the fourth with 9.50.
The Maurice Rocket Richard Trophy is headlined by Auston Matthews and his odds of 2.20, the Calder Trophy looks to be going to Matvei Michkov as his odds are 3.25, and the Jack Adams Trophy chances are the highest with Sheldon Keefe with 6.50. The Presidents Trophy winner, according to the bookies, will go to the Dallas Stars as their odds are 6.75 right now.
If you are feeling lucky and daring right now, you could go to Stake.com and make a seasonal bet for the winners of all three of these awards. Should you pick McDavid, Makar, and either Sesterkin or Hellebuyck and make a ticket with those three bets, a potential $100 wager will win you $4702. That is a pretty penny, as they say, and a worthwhile bet if you can part ways with a single Ben Frank at the moment.
