After four weeks’ of play, the Winnipeg Jets have gone from breaking a franchise record to breaking a league record for strongest season start (14 wins in 15 games). They reached the milestone over the weekend with a 4-1 victory against the Dallas Stars. The impact on the odds board is immediate, with the Jets now sitting eighth (+1500) to win the Stanley Cup.
Early season futures are still open for certain markets, giving people a chance to cash in on long-term bets. In our weekly NHL betting preview, we’re highlighting three games to bet on this week, along with a couple of futures options to beef up your bet slip.
Ottawa Senators (7-7-0 SU, 8-6 ATS) at Toronto Maple Leafs (9-5-2 SU, 11-5 ATS)
Tuesday at 7:00 PM ET
Over Under: 6.0 Goals
Spread: Toronto —1.5
Moneyline: Toronto —120; Ottawa EVEN
Things are looking great in Leaf land. Under Head Coach Craig Berube, Toronto has been able to reverse their traditionally porous defensive stats to a top five defence in the NHL. After 16 games, the Leafs sit fifth in the league, surrendering just 2.56 goals per game. They’ve been particularly staunch of late in their own zone, giving up just four goals in the past four games. With that defense-first approach, goaltender Anthony Stolarz has flourished and is third in the league with a shiny .930 save percentage. Toronto also owns the NHL’s best ATS record, so fans have been rewarded consistently with the Leafs’ solid play early in the season.
On Tuesday, Toronto will be tested against an Ottawa Senators offence that’s in the top half of the league in goals scored. While Ottawa has struggled with consistency, managing a .500 record through 14 games, they’ve been dynamic on the powerplay, converting on 31.1% of their opportunities. Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk have been leading the charge on offence, but they’ll need more from their back end and goaltenders if they hope to be in the playoff conversation come spring.
Winnipeg Jets (14-1-0 SU, 9-6 ATS) at New York Rangers (9-3-1 SU, 7-6 ATS)
Tuesday at 7:00 PM ET
Over Under: 6.0 Goals
Spread: New York —1.5
Moneyline: New York —125; Winnipeg +105
The Winnipeg Jets continue to defy the odds and extend their absolute heater of a start to the NHL season. With +5000 pre-season Stanley Cup odds, few expected them to be a Stanley Cup contender this season. But with 11 players registering double digit point projection and Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck looking as good as ever with a 1.83 GAA and .935 save percentage, the Jets are an unstoppable force right now.
The Jets will be a tall order for the home team New York Rangers tonight, but New York is proving to be a challenge this season. They’ve won three of their last four and have really focused on defensive play early in the season. They’ve allowed just 2.31 goals per game and the combination of Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick has been a force capable of shutting down even the best offences. They’ll have their chance tonight, so tune in for the 7 PM ET start.
Los Angeles Kings (9-5-3 SU, 9-8 ATS) at Colorado Avalanche (8-8-0 SU, 5-11 ATS)
Wednesday at 10:00 PM ET
This Wednesday, the LA Kings will look to continue their hot start to the season when they visit Mile High City to face the Colorado Avalanche. Los Angeles has a slim lead over the Vegas Golden Knights for top spot in the Pacific Division, but they’ve dropped two of their last three games. Up to this point, LA’s strength has been on solid team defence. Their goaltending has been shaky to start; only Darcy Kuemper has a plus-.900 save percentage at .903, while the team has split starts between Kuemper and David Rittich (.890). Despite that, LA is in the top 10 for goals against average (2.88), owed largely to responsible play by their veteran skaters.
Similarly, the Avalanche netminders have struggled to start the season. The combination of Alexandar Georgiev, Justus Annunen and Kaapo Kahkonen have managed an unsightly .873 save percentage and 3.81 goals against average, which ranks third-last in the NHL. There’s no question that offence carries Colorado. With Nathan MacKinnon leading the league in points (30) and Cale Makar (24 points) making a bid for a second Norris Trophy, the Aves can score at will. Tune in to see whether Colorado’s lethal offence can overcome the calculated team defence of the Kings.
Winning Conference
Western —110
Eastern —120
Bet on which side will win the 2025 Stanley Cup: the Eastern Conference or Western Conference. Since 1982 (with the exception of the pandemic-interrupted season in 2021), the Western Conference has been the dominant side, winning 113-102 in the Finals. In the last three seasons, two Stanley Cups went to the West (Vegas and Colorado), and one went to the East (Florida).
This year’s top teams reflect a mix of both conferences. The top four teams on the futures market include two Western Conference teams (Edmonton and Dallas) and two Eastern Conference teams (Florida and Carolina). However, when you go beyond those four, there are back-to-back Eastern teams with Toronto and the Rangers. As a result, the “Western” pick is a slight underdog at —110.
Winning Division
Atlantic +250
Central +260
Pacific +260
Metropolitan +285
For a greater test of your hockey acumen, weigh in on which division will win the 2025 Stanley Cup. Anyone who bet on the Atlantic last season cashed in when the Florida Panthers won. The season prior, the Vegas Golden Knights came through for the Pacific when they beat the Panthers. In the 2022 Finals, the winner, the Colorado Avalanche, came from the Central Division.
The favourite for 2025 is the Atlantic, where the defending Florida Panthers reside, alongside the ultra-talented Toronto Maple Leafs, last season’s Presidents’ trophy-winning Boston Bruins, and the 2020 and 2021-Stanley Cup winning Lightning. The Central and Pacific Division are next at +260 apiece. The Central is home to the Winnipeg Jets and Dallas Stars, who made it to the Western Conference Championship game the last two seasons. There’s a lot to consider in this bet, so take your time and choose wisely. We hope to see you at the pay window.