2024 NHL Playoffs Picks, Predictions, Odds
Our NHL Playoffs Picks are offering up the latest Picks, Predictions, Betting Market Analysis, Futures Prices, Series Odds updates and much more to keep you informed throughout the 2024 NHL Playoffs.
2024 NHL Playoffs Series Predictions
For the entire 2024 NHL Playoffs, Kevin Rogers will be offering up his predictions on each of the series. You can check out his picks below along with his series outcome for the opening matchups.
First Round
Eastern Conference
Panthers over Lightning in 6 games (+430)
Bruins over Maple Leafs in 7 games (+430)
Rangers over Capitals in 5 games (+290)
Hurricanes over Islanders in 6 games (+370)
Although the four winners are more on the chalk side, both the Metro favorites (Rangers and Hurricanes) should advance to the second round with relative ease.
The Bruins and Panthers look to erase some negative history in their first round matchups. Boston will try to bounce back from last season's meltdown against Florida as the Bruins look to eliminate the Maple Leafs.
The Panthers have lost to the Lightning in the playoffs in two of the past three seasons, but Florida should have the upper-hand this time around.
Western Conference
Canucks over Predators in 6 games (+470)
Oilers over Kings in 7 games (+410)
Golden Knights over Stars in 6 games (+470)
Jets over Avalanche in 5 games (+680)
The Canucks took the Pacific Division by storm this season and defeated the Predators three times, so knocking out Nashville is in the cards.
Edmonton eliminated L.A. in six games last season in the first round, but the Kings should give them fits in this rematch. The Oilers have too much firepower up front and will bounce the Kings again.
Vegas and Dallas met in the Western Conference Final last season as the Stars finished as the top seed this season. However, the pressure will be on the Stars to eliminate the defending champions and the Golden Knights can pull out the series in a minor upset.
The Jets won all three matchups with the Avalanche this season in dominating fashion. Winnipeg is looking to take that next step and this is a perfect spot to bounce Colorado.
NHL Playoffs Series Odds & Results
Our NHL Playoffs Series Odds will be updated throughout the playoffs after every result from our NHL Scoreboard, but not before showing the Opening Series Odds for each matchup.
First Round Matchups
Listed below are the opening series odds for the first round matchups of the NHL Playoffs for both the Eastern and Western Conference.
Eastern Conference
(A1) Florida Panthers (-176) vs. (WC1) Tampa Bay Lightning (+146)
(M1) New York Rangers (-375) vs. (WC2) Washington Capitals (+290)
(A2) Boston Bruins (-120) vs. (A3) Toronto Maple Leafs (+100)
(M2) Carolina Hurricanes (-350) vs. (M3) New York Islanders (+275)
Western Conference
(P1) Vancouver Canucks (-150) vs. (WC1) Nashville Predators (+125)
(C1) Dallas Stars (-130) vs. (WC2) Vegas Golden Knights (+108)
(P2) Edmonton Oilers (-182) vs. (P3) Los Angeles Kings (+150)
(C2) Winnipeg Jets (+115) vs. (C3) Colorado Avalanche (-138)
Key:
A - Atlantic
M - Metropolitan
C - Central
P - Pacific
WC - Wild Card
2024 STANLEY CUP ODDS
Listed below are the opening odds to win the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals prior to the start of the 2024 NHL Playoffs.
- Carolina Hurricanes +650
- Florida Panthers +700
- Dallas Stars +800
- New York Rangers +800
- Colorado Avalanche +850
- Edmonton Oilers +850
- Vegas Golden Knights +1100
- Boston Bruins +1300
- Toronto Maple Leafs +1400
- Vancouver Canucks +1400
- Winnipeg Jets +1500
- Tampa Bay Lightning +2200
- Los Angeles Kings +2200
- Nashville Predators +3700
- New York Islanders +5500
- Washington Capitals +18000
Stanley Cup Futures Odds Comparison
2024 NHL Eastern Conference Futures
Listed below are the opening odds to win the 2024 NHL Eastern Conference prior to the start of the 2024 NHL Playoffs.
- Carolina Hurricanes +280
- New York Rangers +330
- Florida Panthers +340
- Boston Bruins +600
- Toronto Maple Leafs +750
- Tampa Bay Lightning +1100
- New York Islanders +2400
- Washington Capitals +6000
Eastern Conference Odds Comparison
2024 NHL Western Conference Futures
Listed below are the opening odds to win the 2024 NHL Western Conference prior to the start of the 2024 NHL Playoffs.
- Colorado Avalanche +370
- Edmonton Oilers +400
- Dallas Stars +400
- Vegas Golden Knights +550
- Winnipeg Jets +750
- Vancouver Canucks +750
- Los Angeles Kings +1100
- Nashville Predators +1900
Western Conference Odds Comparison
NHL PLAYOFFS HISTORY
NHL STANLEY CUP FINAL HISTORY
The Stanley Cup Final is the pro hockey championship of the National Hockey League. The game pits the winner of the two conferences, Eastern and Western. The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Florida Panthers, 4-1 in five games of the 2023 Stanley Cup Final. It was the first championship for the franchise in its six years of existence.
STANLEY CUP FINALS WINNERS (LAST 10 YEARS)
- 2023 - Vegas Golden Knights
- 2022 - Colorado Avalanche
- 2021 - Tampa Bay Lightning
- 2020 - Tampa Bay Lightning
- 2019 - St. Louis Blues
- 2018 - Washington Capitals
- 2017 - Pittsburgh Penguins
- 2016 - Pittsburgh Penguins
- 2015 - Chicago Blackhawks
- 2014 - Los Angeles Kings
- Stanley Cup Finals History
NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS HISTORY
The Eastern Conference Finals is the pro hockey championship of the National Hockey League. The winner of this game advances to the Stanley Cup Finals.
- 2023 - Florida Panthers
- 2022 - Tampa Bay Lightning
- 2021 - COVID (Format Change)
- 2020 - Tampa Bay Lightning
- 2019 - Boston Bruins
- 2018 - Washington Capitals
- 2017 - Pittsburgh Penguins
- 2016 - Pittsburgh Penguins
- 2015 - Tampa Bay Lightning
- 2014 - New York Rangers
- Eastern Conference Finals History
NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS HISTORY
The Eastern Conference Finals is the pro hockey championship of the National Hockey League. The winner of this game advances to the Stanley Cup Finals.
- 2023 - Vegas Golden Knights
- 2022 - Colorado Avalanche
- 2021 - COVID (Format Change)
- 2020 - Dallas Stars
- 2019 - St. Louis Blues
- 2018 - Vegas Golden Knights
- 2017 - Nashville Predators
- 2016 - San Jose Sharks
- 2015 - Chicago Blackhawks
- 2014 - Los Angeles Kings
- Western Conference Finals History
NHL Eastern Conference Teams
The NHL Eastern Conference consists of 16 teams, divided into two divisions of eight. Those divisions are called the Atlantic and Metropolitan Division.
Atlantic Division
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Detroit Red Wings
Florida Panthers
Montreal Canadiens
Ottawa Senators
Tampa Bay Lightning
Toronto Maple Leafs
Metropolitan Division
Carolina Hurricanes
Columbus Blue Jackets
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Washington Capitals
NHL Western Conference Teams
The NHL Western Conference consists of 16 teams, divided into two divisions of eight. Those divisions are called the Central and Pacific Division.
Central Division
Arizona Coyotes
Chicago Blackhawks
Colorado Avalanche
Dallas Stars
Minnesota Wild
Nashville Predators
St. Louis Blues
Winnipeg Jets
Pacific Division
Anaheim Ducks
Calgary Flames
Edmonton Oilers
Los Angeles Kings
San Jose Sharks
Seattle Kraken
Vancouver Canucks
Vegas Golden Knights
NHL MATCHUPS
If you’re betting on the NHL, then you’re definitely viewing the NHL Matchups on daily basis. This featured is loaded with information for every kind of sports bettor and is essential when it comes to winning your wagers. Similar to the NHL Scoreboard, every matchup begins with a designated home and away team and those clubs are designated a rotation number that’s determined in advance by the sportsbooks.
The NHL Games are listed in order of that rotation and the NHL Matchups also shows the times of those contests, which is presented in Eastern Standard Time Zone (ET).
NHL PLAYOFFS SCOREBOARD
The NHL Scoreboard not only provides the scores for the NHL Playoffs, but so much more.
The NHL Scoreboard is shown in periods, three to be exact.
An NHL ice hockey game consists of 60 minutes, divided equally by 20 minutes and they’re labeled first (1), second (2), and third (3). Similar to other professional sports, the NHL doesn’t have ties anymore so you won’t see stalemates on the NHL Scoreboard anymore. In order to prevent ties, the league has created not one but two options to create a winner and a loser.
OVERTIME AND SHOOTOUTS
When you viewing the VegasInsider.com NHL scoreboard, you’ll sometimes see a 4 or 5 listed next to the third period. The fourth period (4) is known as Overtime, which is a 5-minute period and the first team to score becomes the winner. If the game is still tied after the overtime period, the NHL Scoreboard will go to the fifth (5) period or the Shootout. Each team is given three penalty shots to score on their opponent and whoever has more goals is deemed the winner. If the score remains tied, a ‘sudden death’ format will follow until a winner is declared. Make a note that Shootouts don't take place in the NHL Playoffs.
The key feature is the Betting Odds and the NHL Scores provides a consensus line that is created by multiple sportsbooks in the United States. The NHL shows their line in Money-Line format which means you just have to pick the winner of the game. The O/U is abbreviated for the Over-Under or Total, which is a wager that accounts for all goals scored in the game. Bettors can go ‘high’ or ‘low’ for this matchup and cheer for both offensive or defensive units. Make a note that goals scored in the shootout only add ‘one’ goal to your total outcome.
The ATS column could easily be the most important feature on the NHL Scoreboard and it’s clearly for bettors looking for Against the Spread result. After the game is completed, the winning team is highlighted with a “Red Check” plus they also receive a “Cover” label in the ATS column. The Over or Under is given as well for the total, and don’t be surprised to see the word ‘Push’ which is a synonym for tie in the sports betting industry. If you are in a state where sports betting is legal, please check out our online sportsbook directory to find the best and most secure places to make NHL bets.
NHL PLAYOFF FORMAT
"THE FIRST TO WIN 16"
After the field of 16 is determined, the first team to win four best-of-seven series will be deemed the NHL Champion.
In each of the best-of-seven series, the team with the higher seed will have home-ice advantage and they will host the first two games.
The lower seed will then host the next two games and the remaining three games, if necessary, will be alternated with the higher seed hosting Game 5 and 7 while the lower seed hosts Game 6.
In simple terms, the NHL Playoffs Format for a best-of-seven can be viewed as 2-2-1-1-1.
NHL PLAYOFF SERIES BETTING
One of the most popular betting markets in the NHL Playoffs is the series prices, which focuses on the head-to-head matchup between two teams in the best-of-seven series.
Also, bettors can wager on the Exact Outcomes for those series and those payouts are great.
NHL PLAYOFF BETTING TYPES
- Money-line: This is an easy one. Simply pick which team will win outright. Say the Predators are up against the Avalanche in a series matchup – pick one team over the other to bring home the win. New bettors especially bet on the money-line as it's the simplest way to bet on a game.
- Puck-Line: Like money-line, here you choose a team to win or lose outright. However, the difference lies in guessing how much they win/lose by. This number is always going to be -1.5 and +1.5, which is set by the sportsbooks. If you bet on the team -1.5, then they must win the game by two or more goals to cash your wager. And if you take the puck-line underdog (+1.5), then you're hoping that your team wins outright or loses by one goal to win your wager.
- Totals: Also called over/under, this bet determines whether the final score will – combined – will be over or under what the sportsbook thinks.
- Props: This betting market continues to rise in popularity and betting on both specific player and team statistics will increase your viewing pleaure.
- Live Betting: Forgot to put your bet in? No problem, just pull up the latest Live Betting markets or what many also call In-Game Wagering. These wagers can allow you to press, chase or even get out of wagers that you don't want any part of. The options are limitless and the action is Live!
- Futures: Feeling the itch to bet already? Futures can be placed weeks or sometimes months ahead of the game. For example, maybe you think the New York Rangers will bring it home this year in your NHL Playoffs Picks. Place a bet now ahead of the postseason to get in on the ground floor. Just pay attention as the odds can change, and your choice can even be knocked out!
- Parlays: Called accumulator bets in the UK, parlays are a series of bets. The NHL Playoffs is the perfect time for parlays, where you can lay down a small bet of say $10 across five games. Win all five and you could be looking at a hefty return with your NHL Playoff Picks.