NHL Playoff Betting: Deep Dive Analysis and Key Matchup Insights!

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The NHL has their final regular season games on Saturday. So we’re making a few guesses as to first round playoff matchups. Still, our guess involve teams that have made the postseason. Also, the word bold is in the title of this blog.

We can almost guarantee you’re not going to read about bolder predictions than what’s below.

Check out NHL odds to win the Stanley Cup along with our bold betting predictions.

Bold Betting Predictions for the 2023 NHL Playoffs

2023 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs
Monday, April 17 – mid-June

Eastern Conference

Tampa Bay upsets the Boston Bruins in the second round

The Lightning face the Boston Bruins in the first round. The Bruins have dominated all season, which is why they’re an underlay at +300.

A few seasons ago, Tampa Bay dominated the regular season and then lost in the fist round as a +250 choice to win the title.

The same is going to happen to the Bruins this season. Steve Stamkos, Brayden Point, Alex Killorn, and Nikita Kucherov still play in Tampa. Alexander Vasilevskiy continues to put on the pads and heads to the goal. TB wins the series.

The New York Rangers beat the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round

It was easy to love the Hurricanes to win the Eastern Conference until a possible second round series matchup against the New York Rangers developed.

The Rangers could be the better team. They’re definitely better on the left wing where Chris Kreider and Artemi Panarin play. Carolina has a single left winger on their roster. NYR will expose that flaw and win the second round series.

NYR beats Tampa Bay to stamp their ticket to the Stanley Cup

The New York Rangers will use their youth and enthusiasm to get by the Lightning’s experience. The series will go six. Tampa, though, will show their old legs in the final two games.

The New York Rangers return to the Stanley Cup.

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Western Conference

The Seattle Kraken knock out top seed Dallas in the first round

Upstart Seattle doesn’t boast Stanley Cup winning players. It feels like Dallas doesn’t either. So if this happens, the two teams will fight for supremacy.

Dallas could be at a disadvantage after battling so hard for the top seed. The Kraken get it done.

The Kings upset the Oilers in the first round and the Golden Knights in the second

Edmonton is a favorite to beat the Kings. Vegas will be a favorite to beat the Kings as well. Neither will succeed.

Los Angeles has the perfect mix of veterans and youth. The Kings return to their past glory by making it all the way to the Western Conference Finals.

Colorado falls to Los Angeles in the Western Conference Finals

It looks like the Avs have a clear path to the Western Conference Finals. But repeating as Stanley Cup Champions isn’t easy. You have to be the absolute best team in the league.

Is Colorado the absolute best team in NHL? Not even close. The Kings pull off the Western Conference Finals upset victory.

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Stanley Cup Prediction: Los Angeles Kings vs. New York Rangers

A Kings versus Rangers Stanley Cup should be epic. The Rangers and Kings will battle it out until game seven.

In game seven, Los Angeles will prevail to win their first Stanley Cup since 2014.

Stanley Cup Prediction: Kings win in 7

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The NHL Playoffs drop first puck on April 17, which means we’ve got less than ten days before another fantastic National Hockey League postseason starts. In this blog, we make three bold predictions for the Eastern Conference and three bold predictions for the Western Conference.

Here, we look at MyBookie’s bold betting playoff predictions for both conferences, the latest Stanley Cup odds to win the title, and what you can expect to happen on the ice over the next couple of months.

Bold Betting Predictions for the 2023 NHL Playoffs

NHL Playoffs Start: Monday, April 17, 2023
Stanley Cup Final Start: Saturday, June 3, 2023

NHL | Eastern Conference Picture

The Tampa Bay Lightning Won’t Escape the First Round

With just 96 points as of April 6, the Tampa Bay Lightning aren’t dominating the way they often do. Not only that, but the Lightning are 5-5 in their last 10 leading up to their April 6 matchup versus the Islanders.

The Lightning boast an 18-20-1 away record. You must win road matches in the playoffs. If Tampa can’t do that, they will fall. A first round exit is more than possible.

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The Boston Bruins Don’t Make It to the Conference Finals

Boston has dominated the entire season. However, the best team in the Stanly Cup during the regular season doesn’t always play like it in the postseason.

More often than not, teams that dominate during the regular season, end up failing in the postseason. The reason? Teams that surge into the playoffs usually have too much momentum for a full season dominant squad to deal with.

That should be the case when Boston faces a team like the New York Rangers or Carolina Hurricanes. The Bruins will bow out of the NHL Playoffs before the Eastern Conference Finals.

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Carolina Beats the New York Rangers in the NHL Eastern Conference Finals

The prediction, and it’s a bold one, is that Carolina beats the New York Rangers in the finals to advance to the Stanley Cup.

The Hurricanes are as solid of a hockey team as you’re going to find. As of April 5, the Rangers have gone 7-2-1 in their last 10 games. Carolina and NYR would be an epic Eastern Conference Finals.

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NHL | Western Conference Picture

Vegas Bows Out in the First Round

Vegas is playing great hockey, but the team often struggles in the playoffs. 2023 will be no different. If Vegas ends up the 1-seed and tackles the Seattle Kraken, Seattle for sure can win the series.

The points difference between Vegas and Seattle is 10. The spread isn’t great, which means the series would be a toss-up.

NHL Lines | Bet Golden Knights to Win Stanley Cup
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The Kings Upset the Colorado Avalanche to Advance to the Stanley Cup Finals

Colorado has surged to the top of the Central Division standings. No doubt, the Avs are playing well enough and have the talent to repeat as Stanley Cup champs.

But in the playoffs, the Avalanche will face the under the radar Los Angeles Kings. Without a doubt, the Kings have improved enough from last season to beat a team like Colorado. L.A. gets it done and knocks the defending champs fm the postseason.

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Carolina Falls to Los Angeles in 7 and the Kings Lift the Stanley Cup

Hurricanes versus Kings would be a terrific series. Carolina has the edge due to their excellent blue line and offense.

But the Kings will play above their talent level. At the end, Los Angeles steals the seventh game and wins the Cup.

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Last week, we took a look at the NHL playoff situation with 3 weeks to go. Things and NHL odds have changed a little since then, so we thought it might be a good idea to update things as we head into the final two weeks. Over the last 7 days, we have seen a few more teams clinch their spot in the postseason, plus we have seen the Wild Card situation tighten up dramatically. We probably won’t know the final seedings in either conference until the final game of the regular season has been played, but we can take a look at things as they are now and try to make some projections. With all of that in mind, lets take a closer look at each conference to see how things might play out.

NHL Playoffs picture with 2 weeks left of Regular Season

Eastern Conference

Time is running out for the teams still battling for playoff spots, as there are now only 3 spots remaining, with 5 places already filled. What we do know for sure is that the Boston Bruins will be in as the #1 seed in the East, as well as the President’s Trophy winners. Beyond that, things are still somewhat open.

The Maple Leafs have clinched their spot, as they are 2nd in the Atlantic Conference, 5 points ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 3rd. Tampa is very much on the brink of clinching that 3rd place spot and avoiding the Wild Card. One more win should probably be enough for them to seal their postseason spot.

The top 3 spots in the Metropolitan Division are locked and loaded, but the race for the top spot is still alive. The Carolina Hurricanes are leading the way with 103 points, but the New Jersey Devils are just 3 points back. The New York Rangers may well have lost their chance at winning the division, but they have sealed at least the #3 spot in the Metropolitan.

The Islanders and Penguins are holding down the Wild Card spots, with the Florida Panthers the team most likely to catch them.

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Western Conference

Things are not quite as predictable in the Western Conference, as we have yet to see any team clinch a playoff spot. The top 3 teams in the Central Division – the Wild, Avalanche, and Stars, are all separated by a single point, so good luck figuring out who will emerge as the division champion. Those 3 teams look like a good bet to finish in the top 3, though.

It is the same story in the Pacific Division, with the Golden Knights, Kings, and Oilers all separated by just 2 points. Again, all 3 teams look safe and should clinch their spots sooner rather than later. The Kings are finishing strong and might well be a good bet to end up on top of the Pacific.

Right now, the Seattle Kraken and Winnipeg Jets are in the Wild Card spots, but they have a pair of teams -the Flames and Predators breathing down their neck. The Kraken look to be in trouble, as they are falling apart late, which could open the door for the Calgary Flames, who have win 2 in a row, including a huge win over the LA Kings last nigh.

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Must-See NHL Goals of Week 24 | 2022/23 Season

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Last season, the NHL playoff took place in the bubble and proved to be one of the best returns to action after the enforced lockdown due to the pandemic. While things look a little more familiar this season, the division realignments for this season mean that the playoffs are a little different again. Instead of East and West, we have 4 regional playoff divisions, which might in fact make predicting things a little easier to predict right now given that these teams have faced each other a lot over the course of the season. That said, the Stanley Cup playoffs are known for surprises. Let’s take a look at where things are right now and let’s try to predict the 4 teams that will move into the semi-finals so you can keep betting against thier NHL Playoffs odds.

Up to Date NHL Betting Predictions for the 2021 Playoffs

East Division

We talked about surprises a moment ago and we certainly got them in the first round in the East Division. The #1 and the #2 seeds are gone, but it is perhaps not that stunning considering how tight the division was all year. The New York Islanders knocked off the #1 Pittsburgh Penguins in 6 games, but it may have been Game 5 that was the decider, with the Islanders winning it in double overtime. They will face the Boston Bruins, who dispensed of the Washington Capitals in 5 games. The Islanders won the regular season series 5-3, but the Bruins won each of the last 3 meetings. Slight edge to the Bruins in this series.

Central Division

You never know which series is going to be the one that stands out, but the Round 2 matchup between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Tampa Bay Lightning has all the makings of a beauty. Carolina played a lot of hockey in the opening round, taking 6 games to beat the Nashville Predators, with 4 of those games going to OT, including 2 that required double OT. The Lightning started their defense of the Stanley Cup by beating the Florida Panthers in 6 games and never really looking in trouble after winning games 1 and 2. I like the Lightning to move on to the final four, especially since they won Game 1.

West Division

It is #1 and #2 going head-to-head in the West, with the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights squaring off in Round 2. The Avalanche put on an offensive clinic in the opening round, sweeping the St. Louis Blues in 4 games and scoring 20 goals in the process. The Golden Knights looked to be in good shape versus the Minnesota Wild in Round 1, taking a 3-1 series lead, but they ended up needing 7 games to get the job done. The opening game of the Round 2 series saw the Avalanche win 7-1, which seems to suggest that their offensive showing in the opening round was not a fluke. I think the Avs move on.

North Division

As it stands right now, we are still waiting to see who will meet up in Round 2. The Winnipeg Jets made things look easy in Round 1, disposing of the Edmonton Oilers in a 4-game sweep. They are going to be well rested by the time we get to the second round, as they are waiting to see how Game 7 of the Maple Leafs vs Canadiens series plays out. I think the Leafs grind out the win in Game 7, but they are going to have a much tougher task in Round 2, where I like the Jets.

NHL Betting News

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The start of the 2021 NHL Playoffs is just a few short days away, and teams are scrambling for their playoff positions. With the playoff format changing this season due to the pandemic, playoff positioning is even more important than usual. The first round of the playoffs will be strictly within the division, as the top four teams will face off against each other. The #1 seed will play the #4, while the #2 seed will play #3. The winners of those two series will then play. The final four remaining teams will then be re-seeded based on their regular season point totals.  It’s time to take a look at our latest Playoffs update so you can continue planning your bets against their NHL Playoffs odds.

NHL Betting: Portrait of What Would the 2021 NHL Playoffs Look Like

NHL Central Division

Most of the teams only have two or three regular season games remaining, so this week will be vital for many teams. Let’s start in the Central Division. The Tampa Bay Lightning are currently sitting in third place. Just two points behind the Florida Panthers, and just four points ahead of the division-leading Carolina Hurricanes. The Lightning plays two games this week against the Dallas Stars, who are currently sitting in fifth place, just four points behind the Nashville Predators. These games will be huge for both teams. Dallas needs to win these games to get into the playoffs, while Tampa Bay wants to keep winning to try to win the division and to stay out of a first round playoff matchup with either the Panthers or the Hurricanes. Tampa also has two games left with the Panthers, so those will be huge as well. 

NHL East Division

In the East Division, the four playoff spots are pretty much decided. The four teams could all change spots, though. The Boston Bruins are in third place, just one point ahead of the New York Islanders. These two teams will meet next week. Both of these teams could conceivably catch the Capitals and Penguins. There is just a four-point difference between them.

NHL North Division

The North Division is pretty well set as far as the four qualifiers go. The Maple Leafs, Oilers, Jets, and Canadiens should all be set for the playoffs. The Jets and Canadiens are currently tied with 57 points. The Jets and the Canadiens both have five games remaining, so the race for the third spot in the division could go down to the wire.

NHL West Division

In the West, the Golden Knights, Avalanche, and Wild are all solid. There could be some maneuvering amongst the three, as they’re only separated by four points. There could be a battle for the fourth and final spot. The St. Louis Blues currently hold that position with a five point lead over the Coyotes. The Blues finish the season with two games against the Wild. These will be huge games for both teams involved. 

Even though many have been against the NHL’s divisional format this season, it has made for some exciting hockey. The playoff races have been highly contested, and the teams’ familiarity with each other has made for some very competitive games. This season’s playoffs should be highly competitive and a fun set of games to watch!

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Could the high-scoring Tampa Bay Lighting go back-to-back after winning it all a year ago? Will the Colorado Avalanche live up to their status as prohibitive favorites to win it all in 2021?

Could both top Stanley Cup title contenders get beat out for a berth in the finals by a handful of other top title contenders like Washington, Philadelphia, Vegas or Dallas?

With the 2020-21 NHL season steamrolling into a new week of action, it’s time for some really early NHL betting predictions.  Let’s get started in the Central Division with the defending champs so you can start planning ahead your bets and place them against their NHL Playoff odds!

Early Betting Predictions for NHL 2021 Playoffs

Central Division Playoff Participants

Analysis: In the newly formed Central Division, two teams look like easy picks to reach the playoffs in 2021. The defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning are off to a 3-1 start while ranking fifth in scoring (3.8 gpg) and 10th in goals allowed (2.5 gpg). Dallas (2-0) has only played two games, including Sunday’s 3-2 win over Nashville but I have to believe the defending Western Conference champs are going to easily be in the mix to make another deep playoff run.

Florida (2-0-0), Columbus (2-2-2), Carolina (2-1-1) and Nashville (2-2-0) will all be in the mix to get the final two playoff spots in this division with the Blue Jackets and Panthers being my picks to get it done. Columbus recently acquired former Winnipeg star Patrik Laine and his presence alone will make a huge difference for a Columbus offense that ranks 25th in scoring. Tampa Bay is a division-best +5 in scoring differential.

East Division Playoff Participants

Analysis: The East Division looks like the best in the NHL this season to me and really, I don’t think it’s even close. I’m going with a playoff quartet that features Washington (3-0-3), Boston (3-1-1), Philadelphia (3-2-1) and the New York Islanders (3-2-0), but the fact of the matter is that either Pittsburgh (4-2-0) or New Jersey (3-1-1) could get in with the Penguins being the more likely choice to me. Boston is a division-high +5 in scoring differential, but six teams have winning records in the East heading into the new week.

North Division Playoff Participants

Analysis: Montreal (4-0-1) has scored an NHL-best 29 goals and ranks third in scoring (4.8 gpg) and 16th in goals allowed (2.8 gpg). Toronto (5-2-0) is ranked 12th in scoring (3.2 gpg) and 16th in goals allowed 92.8 gpg), but I’m expecting the always-explosive Leafs to pick up the pace in the scoring department at some point. Winnipeg (4-1-0) has looked great through five games while ranking fourth in scoring (3.8 gpg) and 12th in goals allowed (2.6 gpg). I’ve got Calgary getting the fourth and final playoff spot in this division, but it could go to a talent-laden, but oft-underachieving Edmonton (2-4-0) team.

West Division Playoff Participants

Analysis: The West is almost as loaded as the East, except the drop-off after the top four is fairly significant. 2020 Western Conference finalist Vegas has looked fantastic in going 4-1 over its first five games. The Golden Knights have been rock-solid at both ends of the ice in ranking seventh in scoring (3.6 gpg) and eighth in goals allowed (2.4 gpg). Six players have already recorded at least two goals for the suddenly explosive Knights.

2019 champion St. Louis is off to a solid 3-1-1 start despite sitting at -3 in goal scoring differential. Stanley Cup prohibitive favorite Colorado is 3-3-0 after six games including Sunday’s humbling 3-1 loss against Anaheim. However, it has been Minnesota (4-1-0) that has been the biggest surprise out west in the early going. The Wild rank a modest 14th in scoring (3.0 gpg), but 10th in goals allowed (2.5 gpg). Vegas is sitting at +7 in goal scoring differential while Minnesota is at +5.

They’re On The Bubble

Analysis: Pittsburgh is currently ahead of Philly, Boston and the New York Islanders, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see Sidney Crosby and company reach the playoffs. Carolina (3-2-1), Nashville (2-2-0), Anaheim (2-2-2) and Edmonton (2-4-0) look like sure-fire ‘bubble’ teams that will hover somewhere around .500 at best all season.

On The Outside Looking In

Analysis: Ottawa is a mess defensively in allowing 4.0 goals per game (29th). The New York Rangers could challenge, but they don’t look like anything special at all in scoring and allowing an identical 2.8 goals per game. Detroit ranks 30th in scoring (2.0 gpg) while Vancouver ranks dead last in goals allowed (4.7 gpg). Arizona is scoring and allowing an identical 3.4 goals per game while the LA Kings are doing the same in putting up and allowing 3.3 goals per game. Last, but not least, Buffalo is averaging 2.8 goals per game (17th) while allowing 3.0 goals per contest defensively (18th).

Final Four

I’ve got four teams in an all-out street brawl for the final two spots in the Stanley Cup finals. As it currently stands, I’m going with Tampa Bay, Boston, Montreal and Vegas.

Looking Like Stanley Cup Finalists!

The defending champs make consecutive Stanley Cup Finals appearances, opposite a Vegas franchise that has two first place finishes in its three-year existence to go along with one Stanley Cup finals appearance and a Western Conference finals appearance last season.

NHL Betting News

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Part of the fun of watching the final few weeks of the season in the NHL is seeing the battle for playoff spots and the jockeying for position. Every team wants to finish as high as possible, as doing s means a better shot at having home ice advantage for at least one round of the postseason. As we have seen in the past, an opening round series win can build momentum that turns into a Stanley Cup run, much like we saw with the St. Louis Blues last year. As it stands now, the playoff race is on hold as the NHL is in lockdown mode due to the effects of COVID-19. The hope is that the league will return and complete the season, but if they decide to jump right into the postseason using the current standings, we know who would face who in the first round. With that in mind, let’s see how the NHL odds could be for the Avalanche vs Stars.

Avalanche Vs Stars if Playoffs Started Today

The Avalanche vs Stars Season to Date

The Colorado Avalanche were one of the surprise teams of last season, sneaking into the playoffs before knocking off the top seeded Calgary Flames in the opening round. The Avalanche were a young team on the brink of something special and they are taking another leap forward this season. Colorado is 42-20-8 on the season, which gives them 92 points and leaves them just 2 points back of the St. Louis Blues for the best record in the Western Conference. Home ice advantage is great, but the Avalanche actually have 6 more wins (24) than they have at home (18) this season.

For some teams, the lockdown in the NHL might well have come at just the right time. The Dallas Stars are probably one of those teams, as they were on a run of 6 straight losses and a 3-6-1 record in their last 10 games prior to the suspension of league play. Now, they would almost certainly have pulled out of that, but you never want to head into the final weeks of the season heading in the wrong direction. Overall, the Stars are sitting at 37-24-8 on the season, which has them third in the Central Division, albeit only just.

The Avalanche and Stars Head to Head

This is where things get very interesting, as the Stars have won all 4 meetings with the Avalanche this season. The games have all been of the defensive variety, with no more than 5 goals scored in a single game in those 4 meetings. 3 of the 4 games this season were decided by a single goal, which would suggest that this would be a series that really could go either way.

Avalanche and Stars Series Prediction

These two don’t have much of a playoff history, with just one meeting back in 2006, which the Avalanche winning 4-1. I think we can forget about the regular season here, as I think Colorado would win this series 4-2.