We’re two weeks into the 2024-25 NHL season, and some teams have launched out of the gates while others have underperformed and stuttered to start. The Winnipeg Jets have been the most impressive club in the early going. They’ve extended their win streak to five games to start the regular season, which is a franchise record, and have rocketed up to +2500 on the Stanley Cup odds board as a result.
On the flip side, we have the Stanley Cup favourites, the Edmonton Oilers, who got off to a lacklustre 2-4 start. Whether that’s part of simple growing pains or an indication of things to come, we’re eager to see.
NHL betting has been buzzing in our sportsbook, and the Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets have been making bettors very happy. That’s why their matchup at Scotiabank Saddledome is the highlight of this week’s NHL Betting Preview at Bodog Sportsbook.
Saturday at 7 PM ET
If you can watch just one game this week, make it the Calgary Flames versus the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday. Both teams are having incredibly hot starts and lead their respective divisions. The Jets are undefeated with five wins as we head into Monday’s action and have a league-best goal differential of +16.
Much of Winnipeg’s success this season can be boiled down to their offensive depth. Twelve players have scored at least once so far, making it a true team effort. At the other end of the ice, their two-time Vezina-winning goalie Connor Hellebuyck is having an excellent start with one shutout and a .952% save percentage.
The Flames (5-0 ATS) have blown pre-season expectations out of the water with four straight wins. Unfortunately for them, they suffered their first loss in overtime on Saturday against the Kraken, but remain unbeaten in regulation time. Solid goaltending has been the Flames’ biggest asset, proving that their goalie tandem of Dustin Wolf (.944%) and Dan Vladar (.890%) is working out.
Monday at 7:30 PM ET
Over Under: 6.5 Goals
Spread: Toronto —1.5
Win: Toronto —142; Tampa Bay +122
Tonight, fans are treated to an Atlantic division matchup between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning; both teams are tied in the Atlantic Division. The Leafs are 3-2-0 and have not yet found their offence potential. In his first season as captain, Auston Matthews has scored just two goals, four fewer than he had this time last season. That has taken the wind out of the Leafs’ power play, which ranks fifth-last in the NHL. Despite their relatively slow offensive start, some quality goaltending and clutch scoring has gotten them three wins in the early going.
Tampa Bay started the season with three-straight wins, but dropped the ball in a 5-4 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. Nikita Kucherov has had his typical strong start and leads the league in goals with seven. With both Kucherov and Matthews facing off tonight, the total for this game is a hefty 6.5.
Tuesday at 7:15 PM ET
These Original Six rivals will meet for the first time in the 2024-25 season when the Canadiens go to Madison Square Garden to face the Rangers. New York has started the season strong and are second in the Metro Division. They’ll take on a Habs team that’s lost three straight games and is going through some early-season growing pains with their young roster.
One player who isn’t struggling for the Habs is Cole Caufield, who has scored six goals and added an assist through six games. Caufield has yet to eclipse the 30-goal mark in a season, but the skilled sniper appears to be en route to setting a career high if he can stay healthy.
Caufield’s hot streak will be in jeopardy against the NHL’s top goaltender, Igor Shesterkin. The Russian has impressed so far with a 1.97 GAA and a .935 save percentage. Shesterkin will no doubt challenge for the Vezina this season and give the Rangers a chance to be the top club in the East.
Teams vie for the President’s Trophy for more than just bragging rights. This award, which goes to the team that finishes with the most points in the league, comes with home ice advantage through the playoffs. Eight of 35 President Trophy winners have gone on to win the Stanley Cup, with the most recent one being the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks.
This year’s President’s Trophy race is available on our futures market. The Dallas Stars (+600) are the current frontrunners, who are tied for first in the Western Conference with the Winnipeg Jets. Edmonton (+725) and Toronto (+750) check in at second and third on the odds board. The last Canadian team to win the President’s Trophy was the Vancouver Canucks, who won it in 2010-11 and 2011-12.
Canada +220
USA —300
With just seven teams in the league, Canada is at a disadvantage to win the Stanley Cup compared to the 24 American teams that make up the bulk of the NHL. 1993 marked the last time a Canadian team brought home the Stanley Cup; it was the end of an era for the Habs, which was marked by Patrick Roy’s departure to the Colorado Avalanche.
But with the Edmonton Oilers at the top of this season’s Stanley Cup odds board, there’s renewed hope for Canada to end the long drought. Leading the Oilers is Ontario-born Connor McDavid, who has won the Hart Memorial Trophy three times and can outmaneuver players at will.
Canada’s next best bet is the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have all the talent needed but have yet to make it past the second round in the playoffs. And of course, if the Jets’ early season surge is sustained, they could make a bid as well. Bodog Sportsbook has markets for all of these bets and more. Set up a Bodog account (free of charge), redeem your 100% Sports Welcome Bonus, and browse the gamelines and futures market to see what’s available any day of the week. We’re the No. 1 hub for hockey betting in Canada.