NHL Stanley Cup 2024-25 Odds: Will the Cup Stay in Florida?

Dallas Stars (+625)

• • Head Coach: Peter DeBoer
  • 2023-24 Record: 52-21-9 (Loss Western Conference Final)
  • Stanley Cup Titles: 1
  • Key Players: Jason Robertson, Mikko Rantanen, Wyatt Johnson, Matt Duchene

As the regular season winds down, the Dallas Stars are on course to enter the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs as the betting favorite! Amid a solid run near the trade deadline, the Stars decided to bolster their lineup by adding Mikko Rantanen to their top forward line. Rantanen was unhappy in Raleigh with the Hurricanes, so the Stars came calling!

The franchise saw a terrific opportunity to make an already strong roster that much better offensively. Rantanen struggled to fit in with the Hurricanes, but he’s already making an impact in Texas. Dallas’ offense ranks third-best in the NHL, with an average of 3.38 goals scored per game.

JOHNNY FEEDS THE MOOOOOOOOSE 🫎 pic.twitter.com/04tMzEwXpM

— X – Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) April 9, 2025

They are well-balanced on their top three lines. Along with Rantanen, the Stars have Wyatt Johnson and Jamie Benn matched with him. Following that group, a line with Jason Robertson and Matt Duchene gives the Stars plenty of firepower!

On the opposite end of the ice, the Stars sport a defense conceding 2.68 goals per game, for sixth-best in the league. This is a drop from 2.55 goals and third earlier this month, but it’s still a very tough defense.

Jake Oettinger offers the Stars a reliable No. 1 option between the pipes. He holds a 2.53 GAA and 0.911 save percentage. Also, Casey DeSmith is one of the better backup goaltenders in the NHL.

In such a wide-open postseason, I’m unsure if the Stars are the best Stanley Cup pick at +675 odds. While it’s unlikely that one of the worst last-minute collapses in NHL history against the Canucks will linger into the playoffs, it’s worth noting that the Stars have issues to shore up before the puck drops. They’ve lost plenty of their bite and momentum from earlier in the campaign.

Stars are losing 4-0

Their fans are chanting “Fire Nico”@FOX4 pic.twitter.com/awsGQ174ND

— Jeff Kolb (@JeffKolbFOX4) April 11, 2025

The Stars are currently on a six-game losing skid and 4-4-2 in their previous ten games, including an incredible loss when they were up 5-2 against the Canucks with seconds remaining in the 3rd period. Obviously, the talent is here for the Stars, but the playoffs are all about momentum, and they’re limping into the playoffs.

I’d want at least +850 odds to back the Stars here. However, they remain a huge threat in the Western Conference if their confidence returns.

Florida Panthers (+800)

• • Head Coach: Paul Maurice
  • 2023-24 Record: 52-24-6 (Stanley Cup Champions)
  • Stanley Cup Titles: 1
  • Key Players: Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Carter Verhaeghe, Sergei Bobrovsky

After edging out the Edmonton Oilers in the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals, the Florida Panthers are up to their old tricks again this season! They won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history a season ago, and are well-positioned to do the same in 2024-25.

Florida wasn’t quiet at the trade deadline, either. Veteran left winger Brad Marchand made a shocking exit in Boston after entering the league there in 2009-10. The Panthers jumped on the chance to welcome a gritty forward to the mix. This team won the Stanley Cup as a result of their grit a season ago, so Marchand fits in perfectly.

Physical teams are rewarded heavily in the playoffs, and the Panthers are certainly one of the best in that department. However, they’ve been dealing with multiple injuries and using a depleted lineup on a nightly basis.

As well as Matthew Tkachuk, the Panthers were without Sam Bennett for roughly a month. Bennett is set to make his return to the Panthers shortly. Additionally, top defenseman Aaron Ekblad is serving a 20-game suspension. Fortunately, for head coach Paul Maurice, the Panthers are expected to have a healthier lineup for the playoffs.

Carter getting it done 👊 pic.twitter.com/rIXYnZB8m7

— x – Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) April 15, 2025

The arrival of reinforcements will be more than welcome for a Panthers squad that is 4-5-1 over their last ten games. That said, the Panthers still had success in the regular season. As things wrap up, they are 47-30-4 and third in the Atlantic heading into their final game of the season.

The defending champs rank 19th offensively with 3.02 goals per game. Also, the defense is in the top 10, yielding an average of 2.68 goals through 81 matchups.

Don’t count the Panthers out for their second Cup in two years! However, they’ll need to be healthy enough to get through a physical playoff campaign after playing into late June last year. It’s tough to bet on this uncertainty, but the Panthers are a dangerous club nonetheless.

Edmonton Oilers (+825)

• • Head Coach: Kris Knoblauch
  • 2023-24 Record: 49-27-6 (Stanley Cup Finalists)
  • Stanley Cup Titles: 5
  • Key Players: Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, Evan Bouchard

Similar to last season, the Oilers got off to an unusually slow start. They lost three consecutive games and five of their first seven games. Nevertheless, they have responded positively and are in their best form in January. Recall that the Oilers opened the 2023-24 season at 2-9-1 and went to the Stanley Cup Finals.

As of mid-April, the Oilers are set to finish third in the Pacific Division! They’ve been a really average hockey team as of late. The Oilers are flirting with the .500 mark with a record of 6-4-0 over their last ten games.

The Kings and Golden Knights will finish ahead of the Oilers, but Connor McDavid’s team has the shortest Stanley Cup odds!

The Oilers are heavily dependent on McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in the offensive zone. McDavid recently made his return to the starting lineup after missing eight games with an upper-body injury.

Also, Draisaitl has been in and out of the lineup recently, so it’s something to note going into what is always a physical playoff schedule, and having played late into last year.

FOR THE FOURTH TIME IN HIS NHL CAREER LEON DRAISAITL IS A 50-GOAL SCORER pic.twitter.com/ZNGVFkbymx

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 30, 2025

Edmonton leads the NHL with 32 shots per game and is 11th in goals at 3.16. The Oilers didn’t do anything at the trade deadline to address a defense allowing 2.90 goals per game, for 16th in the NHL. Stuart Skinner is incredibly volatile between the pipes, which doesn’t inspire much confidence in their chances.

Skinner boasts a 2.87 GAA and 0.894 save percentage in 50 games. The goaltending would have appreciated a boost at the deadline, but the front office punted that opportunity away. Without a reliable blue line and goaltending, the Oilers are tough to suggest at this point!

Colorado Avalanche (+850)

• • Head Coach: Jared Bednar
  • 2023-24 Record: 50-25-7 (Loss Second Round Playoffs)
  • Stanley Cup Titles: 3
  • Key Players: Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas, Cale Makar, Brock Nelson

The Colorado Avalanche are establishing themselves as one of the best teams in the NHL at the perfect time. Nonetheless, the Avalanche continue to trail three teams for the best NHL Stanley Cup 2025 odds. The good news for the Avs is that their price is on the move and public sentiment is up, though.

In mid-March, the Avalanche had +1000 odds to win the Stanley Cup. In other words, a 9.1% implied probability to win their second title in three years. Since then, the Avs’ chances improved to +825 in early April but regressed to +850 recently.

In any event, I believe the Avalanche are being overlooked and have a stronger probability than their implied chance of 10.5% suggests. Despite being too far back to catch the Jets in the Central Division, the Avalanche are in their best form as of late. They’ve won 16 of their last 25 games, and may not be blazing hot, but well-equipped to go on a long run.

When the Avs are at their best, there may not be another team in the NHL who can top them.

One of the smoothest power play goals you'll see 😮‍💨 @Avalanche pic.twitter.com/IIKutvwzin

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 23, 2025

It was tough saying goodbye to Rantanen, but Martin Necas has been booming on a line with superstar Nathan MacKinnon. In the running for the Hart Trophy this season, MacKinnon could hold the keys to bringing another Stanley Cup to Denver.

Necas ranks third in points with 83, while MacKinnon has eclipsed 116 points to lead the Avs. Multi-talented defenseman Cale Makar shores up a talented blue line and also provides a huge punch on the offensive end. Makar’s touch on offense has led to him ranking second on the Avs in points!

The one question mark for the Avalanche was goaltending entering this season. However, Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood have answered the call tenfold! With Alexander Georgiev struggling, Blackwood has stepped up with a 2.55 GAA and 0.912 save percentage. Meanwhile, Wedgewood holds a 2.32 GAA and 0.908 save percentage in relief duty.

The Avalanche are going to be tough to beat in the playoffs, so you should take a second look at +850 for your 2025 Stanley Cup picks! This is a team with talent in both the offensive and defensive zones that should prove difficult to beat in a seven-game series.