The 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are starting on Saturday with two Western Conference first-round games. An intriguing matchup features the St. Louis Blues, a surprise playoff contender, against the Winnipeg Jets, who claimed the Presidents` Trophy. The Blues finished the regular season strong with a 12-game win streak and a 13-2-1 record in their final 16 games, earning a Western Conference wild-card berth.
The other Saturday game features the Dallas Stars hosting the Colorado Avalanche. These Central Division rivals clashed in the second round of last year`s playoffs, with the Stars winning in six games.
Three additional first-round series commence on Sunday, followed by two more on Monday. The Florida Panthers, the reigning Stanley Cup champions, will then begin their title defense against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday. This marks the second straight year the `Battle of Florida` rivalry will be a first-round matchup, reminiscent of last year when the Panthers defeated the Lightning in five games.
Another familiar Western Conference playoff matchup is between the Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers. These Pacific Division rivals begin their series in Los Angeles on Monday, marking their fourth consecutive first-round showdown. In the Eastern Conference, Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals will host the Montreal Canadiens for Game 1 of their series.
The remaining Western Conference series features the Minnesota Wild against the Vegas Golden Knights, starting Sunday in Las Vegas. On the same day, the New Jersey Devils will visit the Carolina Hurricanes for their series opener, and the `Battle of Ontario` will kick off in Toronto as the Maple Leafs host the Ottawa Senators.
In the Western Conference, Winnipeg and Vegas are heavily favored to win their respective series. The Jets have odds around -210, and the Golden Knights are listed at -235 or higher on most sportsbooks. Oddsmakers also anticipate three of the four Eastern Conference matchups to be unbalanced, with Carolina, Washington, and Toronto as strong favorites. Some sportsbooks offer odds of -300 or higher for the Hurricanes to win, while the Capitals` odds are around -275.
Below are some teams that could offer good value for bets on winning their first-round series.
Best Bets
Dallas Stars (+140, Caesars)
Despite losing four of six past playoff series against the Avalanche and a 1-1-1 record in the 2024-25 regular season series, the Stars possess a superior goalie in Jake Oettinger. Oettinger ranked third in the NHL with 36 wins and is a Vezina Trophy contender. They also feature Mikko Rantanen, a former Avalanche star, who has achieved 30+ goals for the fifth consecutive season. While Jason Robertson, their leading scorer with 35 goals, might be absent due to a knee injury, the Stars still boast strong offensive talent like Wyatt Johnston (33 goals) and Matt Duchene (30), a former Colorado player. Players such as Roope Hintz, Mason Marchment, Mikael Granlund, and Evgenii Dadonov are also capable of scoring against Avalanche goalie Mackenzie Blackwood and contributing to a Dallas series victory.
Los Angeles Kings (+115, DraftKings)
Historically, the Kings have struggled against the Oilers in the playoffs, losing 8 of 10 series, including the last six. In the previous three postseasons, Edmonton eliminated Los Angeles in seven, six, and five games. However, this year, the Kings have home-ice advantage and were the NHL`s best home team in 2024-25, boasting a 31-5-4 home record. They also hold a significant goaltending advantage with Darcy Kuemper, who backstopped Colorado to the 2022 Stanley Cup and had impressive stats this season. Despite the Oilers` potent duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and their near Stanley Cup victory last year, this postseason could be the Kings` opportunity to break their losing streak against their division rivals.
Tampa Bay Lightning (-102, FanDuel)
Despite Sergei Bobrovsky outperforming Andrei Vasilevskiy in last year`s playoffs, it`s challenging to bet against the Lightning, particularly with their roster boasting two 40-goal scorers: Brayden Point (42) and Jake Guentzel (41, a career-high). They also feature Nikita Kucherov (121 points), who secured his third Art Ross Trophy and led playoff scoring in both 2020 and 2021. Furthermore, Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli also achieved career-high goal totals in 2024-25. While the Panthers are the defending champions and anticipate Matthew Tkachuk`s return, his lower-body injury from February might hinder his ability to perform at his peak and help Florida overcome the high-powered Lightning.
For game-by-game predictions for the Stanley Cup Playoffs and expert selections, visit SportsLine.
