2024 Stanley Cup Playoff Race: Betting Who is In, Who is Out, On the Hunt?

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We are down to the final few days and the last round of games in the NHL regular season, and while we are getting very close to the end, there are still several things that need to be decided. There are division titles to be won and playoff spots to be earned, all of which will play out over the course of the next few days. It goes without saying that there are a ton of huge games on the schedule this coming week, all of which will have an impact on who gets in and who gets to watch the playoffs at home. While we know that things may well change as a result of those games, we are going to take one more look at the current NHL playoff picture, focusing on each of the two conferences.

NHL Playoffs picture with the last week left of Regular Season

Eastern Conference

This is definitely the clearer picture of the two, and arguably the strongest conference. The Boston Bruins have long since clinched the #1 seed in the East, as well as the President’s Trophy for the best record in the NHL. The fact that they have home ice throughout has to be seen as scary for other teams, as they have been virtually unbeatable in their own building.

The top 3 automatic spots in both divisions have also been locked up, although the actual seeding might change before we get to the end of the regular season. Besides the Bruins, we have the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning coming out of the Atlantic Division. The Metropolitan Division is going down to the wire, with the New Jersey Devils currently holding the lead. The New Jersey Devils could still potentially catch them, although that now looks like a tough task. They are still in, though, as are the New York Rangers.

Down in the Wild Card, the Florida Panthers and New York Islanders are currently in, and while a few teams below them are still mathematically alive, the Pittsburgh Penguins look like the only real threat.

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Western Conference

Three teams from each of the divisions have clinched their spot, but the seeding is up in the air right now. The Central Division is insane right now, with the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, and Minnesota Wild all tied on 98 points. I’d take the Avalanche to come out on top from that group, but it really is a crapshoot at the moment.

The Vegas Golden Knights have the lead in the Pacific, as well as the best record in the West, but the Edmonton Oilers are playing great right now and could still sneak in and win the division. The Los Angeles Kings have an outside shot, but they look doomed to finish 3rd in the Pacific, which could mean a tough first round matchup.

The Wild Card is tight, too, with the Seattle Kraken and Winnipeg Jets currently holding down the final two playoff spots in the Western Conference. They have the Calgary Flames and the Nashville Predators hot on their heels, though. The Flames and Jets meet this week in what is a critical playoff matchup.

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There are now just 2 weeks left in the NHL regular season, which means that the playoffs are right around the corner. Given the nature of the races in both conferences, we are probably not going to know the Round 1 matchups until all the games have been played, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t start looking ahead to the postseason. Of course, the predictions that we are about to make here might well change once we do know the path that each team will need to take to make it to the Stanley Cup Final. Even though those paths are still to be determined, there are a couple of teams who have proven that they are already going to be very tough to beat. We will get into the potential seedings in a separate article later this week, but for now, let’s take a more general look at both conferences, NHL Odds and how they might play out.

Betting Predictions for the 2023 NHL Playoffs

Eastern Conference

The one thing that we can be sure of is that the Boston Bruins will head into the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the #1 seed in the East as well as the favorite to win it all this season. They have already amassed 119 points and will win the President’s trophy for the best record in the league, but will that translate to success in the postseason? The main benefit they will have is home ice advantage throughout the playoffs, and with a 30-3-3 record at home, they are going to be very tough to beat.

The Carolina Hurricanes look to be the team most likely to give the Bruins a run for their money, with those teams coming off an absolute thriller on Sunday night. It would probably be the Eastern Conference Final that most fans want to see, but is there another team that might upset the apple cart?

The New Jersey Devils cannot be ignored, but If I was looking for a potential dark horse in the East, I might be tempted to play the New York Rangers. They are on an 8-1-1 run in their last 10, and while their path to the Final might be tougher, they cannot be ignored.

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Western Conference

Things look to be a little tougher to predict in the West, as you can’t really say that any one team has dominated in that conference in the way the Bruins have in the East. The Vegas Golden Knights have the best record in the West right now with 98 points, but I’m not even sure they are the best team in the Pacific Division.

When it comes to predicting the playoffs, I tend to look for teams that are going into the postseason hot, and who is hotter than the LA Kings eight now? They have picked up points in 12 straight games after their Sunday night win and might just end up as the #1 seed in the West. If they can nab that top spot, look out.

The Colorado Avalanche were considered by many to be one of the favorites to win it all this season, and while they have not totally lived up to the hype, they are poised to win the Central Division and head into the playoffs as one of the highest seeded teams.

If you want a dark horse, the Winnipeg Jets might be worth a look, assuming they make it in, which is not guaranteed. They have more wins (28) versus conference foes than any other team.

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There is one full month remaining in the NHL regular season, with the playoffs set to begin on May 2nd. That is not a lot of time for teams sitting below the playoff line to make a move that gets them into the thick of the postseason action. Every team has somewhere in the region of 15 games still to play this season, which is not a lot of time to make up the points needed to secure a playoff spot. We are beginning to see teams clinch and get officially eliminated, so we though that now would be the perfect time to take a closer look at the standings and talk about how things might play out, so let’s get into those NHL lines.

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Eastern Conference

No team has yet to officially clinch a playoff spot in the East, but it’s only a matter of time before that changes. The Florida Panthers are opening up a big lead atop the Atlantic Division and currently have 94 points. They will absolutely be in the playoffs, as will the Carolina Hurricanes, who have 93 points and the lead in the Metropolitan Division.

The Eastern Conference playoff teams actually looked to be pretty much locked up, as the top 8 teams in the conference have a sizeable lead over the teams sitting below the Wild Card spots. In the Atlantic, the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Toronto Maple Leafs hold the automatic berths, while the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers are 2nd and 3rd, respectively in the Metropolitan.

The Wild Card spots are occupied by the Boston Bruins and the Washington Capitals, who are 15 points up on the chasing pack. We are likely to still see some changes in the standings, but the 8 teams mentioned all look like a good bet to be in.

The Montreal Canadiens are the only officially eliminated team in the East, but expect the Senators, Devils, and Flyers to join those ranks soon.

Western Conference

In terms of clear-cut playoff teams, you have to say that the Colorado Avalanche is the clear pick. They are almost certainly going to head into the postseason as the #1 seed in the West. They have a 14-point lead in the Central Division, with the Minnesota Wild and the Nashville Predators rounding out the top 3.

The Calgary Flames look like a good bet to win the Pacific Division, with the Los Angeles Kings and the Edmonton Oilers rounding out the top 3 in that division.

Things are a good deal tighter when looking at the race for the 2 available Wild Card spots. The St. Louis Blues are 3 points up on the Vegas Golden Knights, who hold the final spot in the West. They have 3 teams – Stars, Jets, Canucks – within 3 points of the playoff line, so still plenty of teams in the hunt in this conference.

No team in the Western Conference have been officially eliminated as of yet, but there are a few on the brink. We can probably expect the Arizona Coyotes and the Seattle Kraken to be eliminated in the coming days.

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With the NHL Trade Deadline just two weeks away, contenders are looking for ways to improve, while others are looking to trade assets away to build for the future. With around 30 games to play in the regular season, teams are now starting to think about whether they’ll make a playoff run, or if they’ll play for the future. Let’s take a look at some teams that are currently on the hunt for one of the coveted playoff spots so you can bet against the NHL Playoffs Odds.

Playoffs: Which Teams are on The Hunt | NHL Betting

Eastern Conference

Carolina Hurricanes
This team is loaded with talent. They have a ton of front-line talent, some great defensemen, and goaltender Frederik Andersen is one of the best in the league. While the Hurricanes team has made the playoffs the last few seasons, they haven’t been able to make it past the second round. This team has the potential to win it all this season. 

Tampa Bay Lightning
The defending champs are still loaded, and this team can make another Stanley Cup run. Nikita Kucherov and the Lightning will be hard to beat in the playoffs.

Florida Panthers
The top-scoring team in the league is one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup. Although the Panthers hit a rough patch at the end of February, they’ve picked things back up. Jonathan Huberdeau leads the league in points, and he along with the rest of Florida’s powerful offense can take this team a long way.

Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto hasn’t had the playoff success that many had predicted, but things could be different this season. Auston Matthews has been on a roll as of late, and the Leafs are one of the top-scoring teams in the league. 

Western Conference

Colorado Avalanche
Right now, Colorado is the best team in the league. While they have been quite dominant this season, many feel that the team may get bored. They’ve had times this season where they’ve lost to teams they shouldn’t. Come playoff time we think that they’ll be ready to take on everyone.

Las Vegas Golden Knights
Many questioned the Golden Knights move to acquire an injured Jack Eichel. Now that Eichel has returned, the Knights are poised to make a run. Even though Eichel missed a majority of the season, the Knights are 23-13-3 since his acquisition. They have dealt with many injuries throughout the season, but now that they’re getting everyone back and healthy, look out for the Golden Knights!

Calgary Flames
Quietly, the Flames are sitting atop the Pacific Division. They’re looking to end Canada’s streak of not winning the Stanley Cup. A team based in Canada hasn’t won the Cup since 1993. Darryl Sutter has the Flames playing well, and they’re a legitimate threat to win it all.

St. Louis Blues
The Blues are one of the best defensive teams in the league. The Blues have a ton of scoring depth, and Vladimir Tarasenko is on one of the top-scoring lines in the league. This team is very similar to the team that won the Stanley Cup in 2019. 

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