The 2023-24 regular season is over, and the NHL playoffs are set with matchups and series odds posted by Las Vegas oddsmakers. So are the adjusted Stanley Cup odds, which favor the Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, and New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference and the Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, and Edmonton Oilers in the West. The Rangers won the league’s Presidents’ Cup Trophy with the most points (114) this season.
Last year’s Presidents’ Cup winner, the Boston Bruins, lost the Atlantic Division title in their final game Tuesday night. The Bruins were beaten at home by the Ottawa Senators. The Panthers took the division with a home win over the Toronto Maple Leafs to shuffle up the opening-round playoff matchups.
The Washington Capitals secured the final NHL playoffs spot in the East with a game 82 win over the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1. Four teams were in a very tight race for the wild card. The Detroit Red Wings missed the playoffs despite a dramatic last-second goal in regulation and an overtime win in their final game. The Red Wings lost the tie-breaker to the Capitals after both teams finished with 91 points.
The defending Stanley Cup champions, the Vegas Golden Knights, secured the final playoff spot in the East last weekend. But Vegas (98 points) lost their final game Thursday night at home as a massive favorite to the Anaheim Ducks, while the Los Angeles Kings (99 points) scored in the closing 90 seconds of regulation and beat the Chicago Blackhawks in overtime.
With that win, the Kings moved to 3rd place in the Pacific Division and flipped positions with the Knights. Vegas plays the top-seed Dallas Stars, while LA plays the Edmonton Oilers for the third straight year in the opening-round playoffs. The Golden Knights started the season 11-1-1 with a league-leading 23 points in early November, but Vegas finished in 4th place in the Pacific Division as they shoot for another Stanley Cup run.
NHL Series Odds
The Eastern Conference opening round matchups will feature all four series between division opponents. In the West, the Winnipeg Jets are the only higher seed in the playoffs with a home-ice advantage that is an underdog in their series (vs. Colorado).
NHL game and playoff series odds from Las Vegas oddsmakers refresh periodically and are subject to change, including on props and live betting.
Eastern Conference
- Florida Panthers (-184) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (+152)
- Boston Bruins (-120) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (+100)
- New York Rangers (-410) vs. Washington Capitals (+315)
- Carolina Hurricanes (-345) vs. New York Islanders (+270)
Western Conference
- Vancouver Canucks (-150) vs. Nashville Predators (+125)
- Edmonton Oilers (-192) vs. Los Angeles Kings (+158)
- Dallas Stars (-130) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (+108)
- Winnipeg Jets (+115) vs. Colorado Avalanche (-138) – Bet Jets
Opening Game Odds
NHL game odds and betting data from Las Vegas oddsmakers refresh periodically and are subject to change, including on props and live betting. All opening game totals are set at 5.5 goals with different odds.
- NY Islanders (+188) at Carolina (-230)
- Toronto (+108) at Boston (-130)
- Tampa Bay (+140) at Florida (-170)
- Washington (+188) at NY Rangers (-230)
- Colorado (-110) at Winnipeg (-110)
- Nashville (+126) at Vancouver (-152)
- Vegas (+118) at Dallas (-142)
- LA Kings (+138) at Edmonton (-166)
Sports Betting Notes
On Friday morning, ahead of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Las Vegas oddsmakers report that the Rangers, Hurricanes, and Bruins are fans’ top three favorites in both bet count and handle (money wagered). All betting data is subject to change and moves throughout each day as more money is wagered.
Regarding line movement, the Rangers started the season at +1700 and are currently +800. The Hurricanes started the season at +900 and are currently +650, and the Bruins started the season at +1700 and are now +1300.
Other Notes
- Panthers v. Lightning Series: 62% of bets on Tampa Bay
- Bruins v. Maple Leafs Series: 68% of bets on Boston
- Rangers v. Capitals Series: 67% of bets on Washington
- Hurricanes v. Islanders Series: 69% of bets on New York
- Stars v. Golden Knights Series: 77% of bets on Dallas
- Jets v. Avalanche Series: 59% of bets on the Winnipeg
- Canucks v. Predators Series: 53% of bets on the Nashville
- Oilers v. Kings Series: 68% of bets on the Edmonton
NHL Playoffs and Stanley Cup Schedule
The first three rounds of the playoffs will air on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS.
- First Round – April 20 (start date)
- Conference Semifinals – May 5
- Conference Finals – May 20
The 2024 Stanley Cup Finals are tentatively scheduled to begin on Wednesday, June 5. The dates for other games in the series beyond the opening games have not been confirmed.