NHL Playoffs 2025 First Round Predictions & Betting Odds

Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche Series Odds and Prediction

This is very likely the best playoff series of the opening round! In a matchup that could have been the Western Conference Finale, the Dallas Stars (50-25-6) and Colorado Avalanche (49-29-4) meet in the first round.

These are two quality teams, so it’s unfortunate that one will have to go home so early. That said, it provides fans with an exciting showdown right away this postseason. The Stars finished four points ahead of the Avalanche in the Central Division, but neither could catch the Winnipeg Jets.

Neither team enters the playoffs red-hot, but the Stars are stalling at the worst possible time. They head into the playoffs without any momentum. The Stars are on a six-game losing streak with one matchup remaining in the regular season.

Additionally, the Stars have dropped nine of their previous 17 games since March 14. Is there any explanation for this regression? I think the most glaring issue is the absence of defenseman Miro Heiskanen, who has been out of the lineup since January without the star blue liner. Yes, the Stars went on runs with him out, but fatigue could be settling in.

THERE IT IS! THE DIRTY THIRTY!

Cale Makar becomes the first defenseman to score 30 goals in a season since Mike Green in 2008-09🔥pic.twitter.com/geRcSbUBkW

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) April 4, 2025

Heiskanen will miss at least Game 1 and potentially longer. That isn’t a great sign against an Avalanche squad featuring Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Martin Necas. The Avs are fifth in the NHL, with an average of 3.33 goals per game. Look for the Avalanche to attack the Stars out of the gate with Heiskanen absent.

The Stars struggled mightily in their last two matchups versus the Avalanche. They suffered losses of 6-3 and 4-3 this past January and March. With the Stars limping into the playoffs, give me the Avalanche to take this one in six or seven games.

Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings Series Odds and Prediction

The NHL Playoffs 2025 first round betting odds suggest a closer series than many people believe! At -135, the Edmonton Oilers (47-29-5) only have a 57.4% implied probability to defeat the Los Angeles Kings (47-24-9) in the opening round.

That said, I also don’t believe many people are aware that the Kings enter with more points in the Pacific Division and have home-ice advantage in this series! The Kings got hot in the second half to push the Oilers out of second place behind a lockdown defense.

Note that the Kings are 7-3-0 in their previous ten games and have won 11 of their previous 14 matchups heading into the season finale. They are a physical squad that doesn’t give up much room to opponents in the corners and in front of the crease. The Kings’ defense ranks second, with an average of 2.41 goals against per game.

This is exactly the type of team that can give the Oilers issues. A physical defense that can frustrate Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl is the key to beating the Oilers. The Florida Panthers were able to do it in the Stanley Cup Final, and I can see the Kings slowing down the Oilers’ top guns.

Additionally, the Kings feature an incredibly underrated offense. Kevin Fiala might be the most underrated forward in the NHL. He has scored 35 goals and dished out 23 assists in 79 games this season.

With Adrian Kempe and Anže Kopitar on the Kings as well, this is a well-balanced team primed to shock the Oilers!

Kevin Fiala hammers it home to make it 4-0 Kings 🔨 pic.twitter.com/HnF2r5dVbN

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 15, 2025

The Oilers have defensive problems that were never truly addressed at the trade deadline, and now Mattias Ekholm has been ruled out for the first round. Goaltenders Calvin Pickard and Stuart Skinner don’t offer the best options in the crease. Pickard enters with a 2.71 GAA and 0.90 save percentage, while Skinner holds a 2.87 GAA and 0.894 save percentage this season.

I’ll take Darcy Kuemper over Pickard and Skinner any day! Kuemper has been one of the netminders in the NHL. He holds a 2.02 GAA and 0.922 save percentage through 50 games. In short, the Kings are the best NHL first round pick for this series at plus odds!

New Jersey Devils vs. Carolina Hurricanes Series Odds and Prediction

The Carolina Hurricanes (47-28-5) are heavy favorites to oust the New Jersey Devils (41-32-7) in the first round. As a -250 favorite, the Hurricanes have a 71.4% implied probability to bounce the Devils!

The Devils have been an inconsistent team over the last couple of months and are dealing with a rash of injuries. They’ve been banged up for the greater part of this year but have managed to do enough to reach the postseason.

Since a 2-0 loss to the Golden Knights on March 2, the Devils have only won 10 of their previous 19 games and were losers in three consecutive games. This unit has played very much like a .500 hockey team as of late, so that record is a fairly accurate depiction of the Devils.

The most damning injury for the Devils was the season-ending shoulder injury to Jack Hughes. Additionally, reliable defenseman Dougie Hamilton is nursing a lower-body injury and not expected to be available for another two weeks.

The Hurricanes are 7-3-0 over their last ten games versus the Devils, so it isn’t the best matchup for this injured squad. Carolina enters with an impressive home record of 31-9-1, too. Along with home-ice advantage, the 1-2 punch of Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis on the top line should be too much for the Devils.

My goodness, Sebastian Aho 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/4jL1tB6YFq

— x – Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) March 21, 2025

They’ve been a balanced squad in 2024-25, with 3.24 goals per game, which ranks ninth in the league this season. The Canes also rank in the top 10 defensively, with 2.74 goals against per game. As long as the Hurricanes maintain their focus, they should clear the Devils in six games!

For my 2025 NHL first round predictions, the Hurricanes are the pick but don’t offer bettors the best value to win at -250.

Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Series Odds and Prediction

The Florida Panthers (47-31-4) and Tampa Bay Lightning (47-26-8) drop the puck on an all-Florida series in the Sunshine State. Florida will play their first playoff game since defeating the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The defending champs bring a veteran-laden and talented squad to the postseason this year. However, I question how the chemistry is going to look on a team that has been banged up over the last two months. The Panthers are getting bodies back and may have Matthew Tkachuk for Game 1.

That said, Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, and Aaron Ekblad haven’t had much time to play together with the newly acquired Brad Marchand. Tkachuk has not been confirmed for the series opener, while Ekblad can’t return until Game 3 against the Lightning due to a 20-game suspension for PEDs.

Vasy’s staying locked in 🔒

For yet another #NHLPAPlayerPoll season, the players have voted Andrei Vasilevskiy to the top of the goaltending category. pic.twitter.com/vyvk4rCRpk

— NHLPA (@NHLPA) April 15, 2025

Florida is just 3-6-1 in their last ten games and on a two-game skid entering the playoffs. Conversely, the Lightning are 6-1-3 and won two straight matchups. They also led the NHL in scoring and third on defense in the regular season!

The Panthers will have to deal with goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, who’s having a strong season between the pipes. Vasilevskiy holds a 2.18 GAA and 0.921 save percentage.

Florida will be a popular pick, but the Lightning look like the better side and are the wager with stronger value!

Ottawa Senators vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Series Odds and Prediction

The Battle of Ontario fires up with the Ottawa Senators (44-30-7) and Toronto Maple Leafs (51-26-4). This is an intriguing series between two bitter rivals. The Senators are a good team, too, so this isn’t exactly a reward for the Leafs winning the Atlantic Division.

Since April 16, 2023, the Maple Leafs have a dreadful 1-6-0 record versus the Senators. In their last two meetings, the Senators were victorious in wins of 4-2 and 2-1. They always show up to play versus the Leafs regardless of the situation, so I expect this to be a long, physical series.

My concern for the Senators is how fast Brady Tkachuk is going to get up to speed. He hasn’t played since March 30 after playing for roughly 15 minutes against the Penguins. If Tkachuk gets hot right away, the Maple Leafs could be staring at another early exit.

However, I expect head coach Craig Berube to have his squad well-prepared for this first round challenge. Berube was hired for his expertise in the playoffs. The Leafs have stalled out year after year in the spring, so hiring Berube, who won the Cup with the Blues in 2019, is an upgrade.

Failing to up the intensity and interest in winning puck battles has been their downfall in the past. However, I don’t foresee Berube having this squad ill-prepared. This is also the most depth on a Maple Leafs team in a while. They’re getting production from all their lines and not just having to rely on the “big three” of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Mitch Marner.

Auston Matthews is pacing among some of the best… 🧐 pic.twitter.com/Lo08xQcJwJ

— NHL (@NHL) April 16, 2025

The Leafs are seventh in goals per game and tenth in goals against. Ottawa’s issue is the offense can be inconsistent and suffer from cold droughts. The Sens are just 21st in goals for, with 2.9 scored per game.

In a tight series, expect the Maple Leafs to prevail in six or seven games. They are a fine option for your NHL first round predictions and picks!

Minnesota Wild vs. Vegas Golden Knights Series Odds and Prediction

The most underrated teams in the Stanley Cup Playoffs may be the Vegas Golden Knights (50-22-10) and Minnesota Wild (45-30-7). Despite Vegas maintaining the lead in the Pacific Division for weeks, the media and public haven’t given this squad much attention.

As far as the Wild are concerned, they are a different team when Kirill Kaprizov is on the ice. The Wild went just 20-17-4 without him suiting up this season. He’s a huge impact player and was the favorite to win the Hart Trophy for MVP before going down with an injury in January.

The Wild can make this series interesting, but they drew one of the worst possible matchups versus the Golden Knights. Vegas is a team that does a lot of the little things that add up to wins.

They’re well-disciplined and don’t shoot themselves in the foot often. This led to the Golden Knights winning all three of their matchups against the Wild since December 14.

Jack Eichel was running wild in Minnesota! 😤@GoldenKnights | #VegasBorn pic.twitter.com/LJNW7qTw4s

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) March 26, 2025

Vegas ranks fourth in goals against and fifth in goals scored this season. They are one of three teams in the playoffs that rank in the top 5 in both metrics. I like the Wild, they don’t match the depth and well-rounded attributes of the Golden Knights.

In short, the Golden Knights should bypass the Wild in six games!

St. Louis Blues vs. Winnipeg Jets Series Odds and Prediction

The Winnipeg Jets (56-22-4) hope to avoid the Presidents’ Trophy curse for finishing with the best regular season record in the NHL! The 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks are the last team to win the Presidents’ Trophy and Stanley Cup in the same season.

I think they could be in a dog fight right away against a hot St. Louis Blues (44-30-8) squad. Although the Blues needed the last game of the regular season to qualify, they are 19-4-3 over their previous 26 matchups. This is similar to what the Blues did in 2019 after going from the worst team in the NHL to Stanley Cup champs.

I’m not saying the Blues are a shoo-in for the Stanley Cup Final again, but they could very well upset the Jets here. The goaltending matchup is a rematch of Connor Hellebuyck vs. Jordan Binnington from the 4 Nations Face-Off. Hellebuyck has wrapped up the Vezina Trophy and is on course to win the Hart Trophy, too! However, the goalie has had a complicated experience in big games and the playoffs.

JORDAN BINNINGTON MY GOODNESS 😱 #4Nations

🇺🇸: @espn & @ESPNPlus ➡️ https://t.co/S5tPrXCygm
🇨🇦: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ https://t.co/4KjbdjVctF pic.twitter.com/EPFCUVyZ48

— NHL (@NHL) February 21, 2025

Binnington, on the other hand, always seems to rise to the occasion. After a barrage of criticism levied at Team Canada for starting Binnington, he outplayed Hellebuyck in the championship to lead the Canadians to gold. Binnington also played a large part in the Blues’ 2019 Stanley Cup run. In 2011, he spearheaded the Owen Sound Attack’s OHL Championship.

Since the 4 Nations break, Binnington has posted a 2.23 GAA and 0.91 save percentage. The goalie also sported a 13-3-1 record in the crease, so he, along with his teammates, are entering the playoffs with lots of momentum! The regular season stats say the Jets win easily, but the Blues are a live dog.

With this in mind, the Blues are worth a look and on my card for NHL first round predictions! The value at +180 makes them a strong option against the Jets.