Picking the Four NHL Division Winners

The summer is starting to come to a close, and that should have you starting to think about the fall and winter sports set to begin. While the NFL is going to have the attention of most, BetOnline has released the NHL futures betting odds for each division.

The NHL continues to be wildly unpredictable, and that not only adds to the excitement but it also creates some great betting opportunities. Here is a quick look at each of the four divisions in the NHL and the teams that you should pick to win each division.

You will find when looking at the betting odds at BetOnline that they tend to be tight for every division, but there is a bit of a gap in the Atlantic and Central Divisions. That doesn’t mean that there can’t be some surprises along the way, but each division appears to have a pretty big favorites.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are the favorites to win the Atlantic Division this season at +220, and they are once again going to be loaded with talent. You will find the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers both with odds at +375, but those teams are getting worse this offseason.

You don’t typically just want to go with the betting favorite when making a futures wager, but the Toronto Maple Leafs will get it done in the Atlantic Division.

In the Central Division, the Colorado Avalanche are just two years removed from winning the Stanley Cup, and they are going to be loaded again this season. Colorado is at +150 to win the Central Division, and the Dallas Stars are next on the list at +175.

There is a massive gap in the odds after the Avalanche and Stars, and you have to bet on one of these teams to win the division. Dallas was terrific a season ago, but taking the Avalanche at +150 is the bet to make.

The Metropolitan Division is one that is on the rise, and there should be plenty of competition between the top teams during the 2023-24 season. While there are going to be some teams in the Metropolitan Division that struggle, the top is going to be loaded.

The betting odds at the top are crowded as well, and the Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils enter the season with identical odds at +225. Next on the list is the New York Rangers at +325, and that is going to create quite the battle this season.

Carolina is going to be a very popular pick to win the division yet again, but it will actually be New Jersey that is going to be the team to beat. Bet on the New Jersey Devils at +225, as they will put together a great season and win the Metropolitan.

The Vegas Golden Knights are the current Stanley Cup champions, and they are bringing back a large chunk of that roster again next season. Vegas was not the best regular season team in the league a season ago, and betting odds suggest that they will follow that same pattern this year.

It is the Edmonton Oilers that are the betting favorites to win the Pacific Division at +210, but the Vegas Golden Knights aren’t far behind them at +225. The Los Angeles Kings are also good enough to be in the mix at +325, but it’s hard to bet against the top two teams.

Look for Vegas to get off to a better start to the year, and taking them at +225 to win the Pacific is the way to go.