Opening NHL Playoff Series Odds for All First-Round Series

Odds as of April 13th at DraftKings Sportsbook. Claim the DraftKings promo code to bet on the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

Leafs Favored to Exact Revenge on Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in Round 1 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but it’s the blue and white who are favored to emerge victorious this time around. Oddsmakers have instilled the Maple Leafs as favorites over the defending Eastern Conference champs.

All signs are pointing towards the Leafs beating the Lightning this time, including improvement in goaltending and fatigue impacting the Bolts. But of course, the Maple Leafs haven’t won a playoff series since 2004, and getting that monkey off their back is easier said than done.

The Leafs having the reputation of being “serial playoff chokers” is one of the reasons they are among the best NHL bets for Round 1 of the Playoffs. This TBL vs Toronto series went to Game 7 last year and Toronto has only gotten better in that time, while the Bolts have gotten worse.

Yes, Andrei Vasilevskiy is always a contender in the Vezina odds and a huge x-factor, but this Bolts team has made three straight trips to the Stanley Cup Final. All those extra-long seasons and lack of proper offseason training will catch up to them against a younger and hungrier Toronto squad.

Toronto won the last two regular-season meetings against Tampa Bay and took them to overtime in the other meeting earlier in the year. With the betting public looking to fade the Leafs like usual, this is the time to take a leap of faith with Sheldon Keefe’s squad.

Best Bet: Maple Leafs to Win Series (-150)

How to Bet Devils vs Rangers

Among the other intriguing first-round NHL Playoff series matchups is Rangers vs Devils (aka The Hudson River Rivalry). Oddsmakers have instilled the Devils as -120 favorites (54.5%) over the Rangers in the Round 1 NHL Playoff Series odds.

New York and New Jersey are meeting for the first time since the 2012 Eastern Conference Final which was won by NJD in six games. New Jersey has had New York’s number lately, winning three of four regular-season meetings and earning a point in that lone defeat.

The Rangers loaded up at the trade deadline by acquiring Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko, but it’s also important to remember the Devils added a top sniper of their own in Timo Meier. The 26-year-old is in the prime of his career and has scored 40 goals in 2022-23 split between the Sharks and Devils.

Igor Shesterkin is the best goalie in this series, but he’s having a bit of a down year with a .916 save percentage compared to the stellar .935 mark he posted last season. Devils’ netminder Vitek Vanacek (.911 SV%) has been inconsistent but he’s only allowed four goals in his past three starts. Plus, the Czech goalie plays behind a defense that allows the fifth-fewest shots per game.

The Devils have been a top-five possession team this year, while the Rangers are below league average and typically rely on a combination of power play and goaltending. That will be an issue facing an elite Devils’ penalty kill that ranks fifth-best in the league (82.6%).

Best Bet: Devils to Win Series (-120)