Mark Lammey
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The most anticipated postseason is finally here! It took until the very last day of the regular season for each of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoff matchups to be determined, but all 8 series are now set. As we approach the first games as soon as Saturday, April 20, we’ve provided our best NHL Stanley Cup playoff predictions. We’ve got a best bet in the Western Conference and a longshot in the Eastern Conference, so let’s get into it. Along with our best NHL futures picks, be sure to check out all of our NHL picks for every game throughout the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.
2024 NHL Stanley Cup odds
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook and available at the time of publishing.
- 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
NHL Stanley Cup winner best bet: Edmonton Oilers (+850)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Now that you’ve seen the latest 2024 Stanley Cup odds, where is the best value? As great as it would be to cash a +18000 ticket on the Caps, we’re sticking with our preseason pick of the Edmonton Oilers. Things didn’t look good early in the year, but after a head-coaching change, Edmonton turned things around in a big way, tying an NHL record in terms of a winning streak entering the all-star break.
With Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl such a dynamic duo, it’s no surprise that they lead the league in scoring, but it’s their goaltending that should make the difference this season. They’re in the top 10 in that regard, which has always been what has held them back in the past. We also love their chances of advancing, as they take on the division rival Los Angeles Kings in the first round for the 3rd straight season, winning each of the past 2. They also get to avoid the #1 seed Dallas Stars and the Colorado Avalanche in the second round, so things set up nicely for McDavid and the Oilers to make a run in the postseason.
NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round best bet: Vancouver Canucks -1.5 games over Nashville Predators (+138)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
With the Western Conference being home to the likes of Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon, there is no shortage of superstars on the ice. While the Edmonton Oilers and Colorado Avalanche are among the top favorites to hoist Lord Stanley, the best bet from our NHL Stanley Cup playoff predictions is actually focused elsewhere. That would be with a team that actually won their division — the Vancouver Canucks.
Their year-to-year turnaround was undoubtedly the best of the season, and their Pacific Division title was their first since 2013. With 6 All-Star selections, they led the entire NHL in that regard, and they’ll get to take on a rather inconsistent Nashville Predators team in the first round. Outside of the top 3 teams in the Central Division, it felt as though none of them wanted to make the postseason, and that was evident when these teams played one another. In their 3 meetings, the Canucks came out victorious each time.
Not only that, but the most recent 2 meetings were 3-goal victories. We also haven’t seen the Preds perform against top competition down the stretch. Of their 4 wins over the last 10 games, not a single one came against a playoff team. Therefore, we’re taking the Canucks -1.5 games in the first round as the best bet from our NHL Stanley Cup playoff predictions.
NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round longshot pick: New York Islanders over Carolina Hurricanes (+280)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Although we’re still getting some great value with plus-money odds using our best bet, we also have a longshot pick for you. We aren’t going quite as far as to say the Washington Capitals can upset the New York Rangers, but we are targeting the other squad from the Big Apple.
That would be the Islanders, who also have a tough task in the first round taking on the Carolina Hurricanes. Carolina made it to the Eastern Conference Finals a season ago and bolstered their roster at the trade deadline with guys like Jake Guentzel, formerly of the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, if there is one team no one should want to face right now, it’s the Islanders. With what looked like it was going to be a heated battle for both of the Eastern Conference Wild Card spots, New York quickly silenced that by securing one of them rather quickly.
In other words, they’ve gotten hot at the best time of year, going 8-1-1 in the last 10 games of the season. That included a shutout win over the aforementioned Predators and even a victory over the cross-town rival Rangers. They split their 4-game season series with Carolina, but with the form they’re currently in, the Islanders are the longshot pick from our NHL Stanley Cup playoff predictions.
