Betting Odds, Predictions: NHL Playoffs Set

The quest begins Saturday for one of the most coveted trophies in sports -- the Stanley Cup.

Two playoff games are set for Saturday and Monday each. The busiest day is Sunday, with four games scheduled.

By The Numbers

16: Number of teams in the playoffs

114: Regular-season points by the New York Rangers, winners of the Presidents’ Trophy for the season’s best overall record

113: Regular-season points by the Western Conference champion Dallas Stars

Questions With The Playoffs Underway

Below are three topics of interest to many fans and those interested in Stanley Cup betting.

1. Can the Vegas Golden Knights win back-to-back titles?

The last team to win two straight Stanley Cup titles came from Florida -- the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021. Before that it was the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017.

This year, the defending champion Golden Knights hope to match that effort by keeping the Stanley Cup at T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip.

The Knights have been hampered by injuries but have picked up key acquisitions, including center Tomas Hertl and right wing Anthony Mantha. A first-round showdown with Dallas will be a difficult hurdle, though.

2. Will a Canadian team win the Stanley Cup this year?

The last time a team from Canada captured the title was in 1993, when the Montreal Canadiens, under Coach Jacques Demers, beat the Los Angeles Kings, four games to one.

Montreal has the most Stanley Cup wins in NHL history, 24, but didn't qualify this year for the playoffs.

Of the seven Canada-based teams, four are in the playoffs this year -- Toronto, Winnipeg, Vancouver and  Edmonton -- each with the talent to make a deep run.

3. How about an Original Six team? Do any have a chance?

Of the Original Six teams (Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks), half are in this year's playoffs -- Toronto, Boston and New York. All are serious contenders.

During the regular season, the Rangers compiled the league'ss best record, with 114 points, while Boston (109) and Toronto (102) had the fourth and fifth most points in the Eastern Conference. The Rangers haven't won a Stanley Cup since 1994. They are more than due.

Playoff Betting Odds

Here are the odds for this weekend's opening playoff games. Each pairing is a best-of-seven series. These odds are just for the first game.

The Stanley Cup Final starts June 3 unless earlier rounds are decided quickly. June 24 is the last possible date for a 2024 Stanley Cup Final game.

Saturday

New York Islanders at Carolina Hurricanes (-1.5)

Toronto Maple Leafs at Boston Bruins (-1.5)

Sunday

Tampa Bay Lightning at Florida Panthers (-1.5)

Washington Capitals at New York Rangers (-1.5)

Colorado Avalanche at Winnipeg Jets (-1.5)

Nashville Predators at Vancouver Canucks (-1.5)

Monday

Vegas Golden Knights at Dallas Stars (-1.5)

Los Angeles Kings at Edmonton Oilers (-1.5)

Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook.

Bookmaker's Predictions

Gambling.com asked professional bookmaker Casey Lewless to give a brief assessment of a few first-round matchups -- and to offer his prediction on which team will win the Stanley Cup.

Lewless is a longtime Las Vegas bookmaker now managing the Penn Entertainment sportsbooks at the Margaritaville and Boomtown casinos in Northwest Louisiana.

Lewless Quick Hits 

• Florida gets by Tampa Bay fairly easily.
• Toronto has a puncher's chance against Boston.
• Rangers roll over the Capitals.
• Carolina sneaks by the Isles.

Stanley Cup Winner

When it comes to picking a 2024 Stanley Cup winner, Lewless said bettors will want to take a hard look at Dallas at +850 and Boston at +1100.

For his money, however, Lawless said he is "going with the New York Rangers at 8 to 1."