Before the season began, almost every sports betting site had the Edmonton Oilers as the favorites to win the Stanley Cup.

So, despite another slow start to the season, it’s no surprise they are listed at -600 to make the playoffs. It’s almost not worth making that bet.

Like the Oilers, another team synonymous with the postseason is the Boston Bruins.

They own the longest playoff streak in NHL history, making it to the post-season 29 consecutive times between 1968 and 1996. They also co-own the longest active playoff streak.

NHL Longest Active Playoff Streak

Team	Seasons
Boston Bruins	8
Toronto Maple Leafs	8
Tampa Bay Lightning	7
Colorado Avalanche	7
Carolina Hurricanes	6

One thing we learned in recent years is that you simply need to make the playoffs to have a chance to win the ultimate prize.

Case and point – the Los Angeles Kings squeaked into the postseason in 2012 and went on to win the Stanley Cup becoming the first eighth-seed in North American sports history to win a championship.

So, let’s take a closer look at teams on the playoff bubble this season who are living by Lloyd Christmas’ famous saying, “So you’re telling me there’s a chance”.

Who Will Make The NHL Playoffs in 2025?

Tampa Bay Lightning (-265)

When I think of the Tampa Bay Lightning, I immediately associate them with winning. They hoisted the Stanley Cup twice in the last five years.

And while they still have Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman, and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy – they aren’t getting any younger.

Add to that, the fact they lost their heart and soul in Steven Stamkos, and you could argue this team is on the decline.

Earning a top three spot in the Atlantic Division won’t be easy with Florida, Toronto, and Boston in their way.

They still have plenty of talent, but if you are looking for a good longshot bet, Tampa missing the playoffs, at +250, may be the way to go.

Washington Capitals (-166)

Much of the focus in Washington this season will likely be on Alex Ovechkin’s quest to become the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer.

The Capitals returned to the playoffs last season, a year after missing for the first time in eight years.

They are much better down the middle with Dylan Strome and the off-season acquisition of Pierre-Luc Dubois, while solidifying their goaltending by picking up Logan Thompson, who won a Stanley Cup with Vegas in 2023.

But the Metropolitan Division is tough, meaning Washington will need to play their best hockey in hopes of earning a playoff spot.

Nashville Predators (+100)

General Manager Barry Trotz took free agency by storm in July by signing veteran forwards Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault, as well as defenseman Brady Skjei.

They also locked up their all-star goaltender, Juuse Saros, to an eight-year deal. They join a lineup that includes Filip Forsberg, Ryan O’Reilly, and Roman Josi, making them an instant Stanley Cup contender.

But the team got off to a slow start this season, losing their first five games. Look for them to right the ship, play their way into the postseason, and possibly do some damage once there.

Utah Hockey Club (+185)

For many of the Hockey Club’s players, this year is a fresh start after the team moved to Utah.

But playoff experience is very minimal for most of their players with their former franchise, the Arizona Coyotes, missing the postseason each of the last four years.

They have a good mix of youth with Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther and Barrett Hayton, along with veterans like Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz.

The team even overhauled their blueline in the off-season, including the acquisition of Mikael Sergachev. Despite this, they will be hard-pressed to sneak into a playoff position this season.

Pittsburgh Penguins (+230)

Sidney Crosby and the Penguins are hoping to avoid a third consecutive season without a playoff appearance.

Prior to the 2022-2023 season, Pittsburgh had reached the postseason 16 years in a row, which was the longest streak in North American sports.

Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang continue to lead this team despite the fact they are all in their late 30’s. The Pens are lacking solid goaltending and will likely struggle to keep pucks out of their net this season.

*odds courtesy of FanDuel

How The NHL Playoffs Work

• The NHL is comprised of 32 teams.
• Sixteen teams play in the Eastern Conference and 16 in the Western Conference.
• Eight teams from each conference qualify for the playoffs.
• Within each conference, there are two divisions of eight teams. (4 divisions total)
• The top three teams from each division automatically qualify for the playoffs. (12 teams total)
• The final four playoff spots (two from each conference) go to the teams who qualify as the Wild Card teams.

NHL Playoff Wild Card Teams

Each of the four divisions qualifies its top three teams for the playoffs.

The NHL allows four more teams to qualify as Wild Card teams for its playoff format.

The two teams from each conference with the highest point total who didn’t qualify for the playoffs are added as Wild Card teams.

The Western Conference team that finishes the regular season with the most points is considered the #1 seed in the West.

They would play the lowest-ranked Wild Card team in the first round of the playoffs.

The format works the same way in the Eastern Conference.

NHL Playoff Series Format

In the first round of the playoffs, each of the four division winners plays one of the wild card teams. These are considered #1 vs. #4 seed matchups.

The remaining eight teams are all seeded as #2 or #3 seeds, depending on their finishing positions during the season.

There are eight opening-round matchups. (four from each conference)

Each matchup is a Best of 7 series, with the first team to win four games advancing to the next round.

To win the Stanley Cup, a team must win four rounds in the playoffs, or a total of 16 games.

A team is eliminated after losing a Best of 7 series.

Home Ice Advantage In The NHL Playoffs

In the first two rounds of the NHL playoffs, the team ranked or seeded higher has the home-ice advantage.

In the Conference Finals and the Stanley Cup finals, home-ice advantage is determined by the team with the better regular season record.

Betting On The NHL Playoffs

The NHL plays an 82-game regular season, meaning hockey fans have over 2600 games to bet on before the playoffs start.

Once the playoffs arrive, we have even more betting options and opportunities to consider.

Individual Games

Although playoff games might be more intense for the players, we can treat them like regular season action as sports bettors.

Once the NHL playoffs start, we still have the same opportunities to make traditional hockey bets.

Moneylines, Totals (O/U), and Puckline bets are still the most popular form of NHL betting, and that doesn’t change just because the playoffs are starting.

NHL Futures Betting

NHL futures betting is something that can take place year-round. Not long after a Stanley Cup champion is crowned, odds for the following year are released.

Betting on the eventual Stanley Cup champion is the most popular form of NHL futures betting.

However, there are a lot of different opportunities and options for futures bettors to play on.

From a playoff perspective, many bettors enjoy taking a shot at predicting the player who will be named Conn Smythe trophy winner, which is awarded to the playoff MVP.

Player Prop Betting In The NHL Playoffs

The legalization of sports betting is a relatively recent event across North America.

However, a lot of us have been able to play fantasy and daily fantasy sports legally for a long time.

Player prop betting is much more about knowing individual players and much less about knowing how teams are expected to perform.

Player prop betting allows us to focus on the players we know and interest us.

Instead of predicting which team will win a game, we might be more comfortable determining which player will score a goal, record an assist or make a lot of saves.

Some of the more popular types of NHL player prop bets include;

• Player O/U 0.5 goals
• Player O/U 0.5 assists
• Player O/U shots on net
• Player O/U total saves

NHL Playoff Props

Sportsbooks will also offer a wide selection of game or team prop betting options in the regular season and the playoffs.

These types of prop bets are often referred to as the games within the game. Instead of focusing on the final score or which team won, prop bets focus on many other events in each game.

Some of the more popular NHL playoff prop bets include:

• GIFT (Goal In First Ten Minutes)
• Exact final score
• 1st Period Over / Under
• Will this game go to Overtime?

The GIFT betting prop is the most popular hockey prop going. For those who prefer their bets to be fast-paced, action-packed, and over in a hurry, then GIFT betting is for you.

Things To Keep In Mind When NHL Playoff Prop Betting

The traditional betting markets, such as moneylines, totals, and pucklines, are considered the sharpest lines in the market.

By that, we mean they are the most popular bets available and the ones that sportsbooks and bettors spend the most time analyzing.

Because one individual hockey game can have hundreds of different prop betting options, many bettors believe it is easier to find an edge with prop betting than with traditional markets.

An Important Tool To Help With Your NHL Playoff Bets

Do you enjoy making NHL prop bets – more specifically GIFT (Goal In First Ten Minutes) betting?

If so, check out our dedicated GIFT tool. It will provide you with knowledge and stats to help you make educated bets. 

It’s hard to match up against sportsbooks as they have so many people researching every aspect of every game. Check out this comprehensive tool to give yourself an edge in winning your wager.

Why You Should Shop Around For NHL Playoff Odds

Do you think Sidney Crosby and the Penguins will make the playoffs? What about the Hockey Club in their first season in Utah?

Regardless, my advice to you is to shop around for the Best Odds. Don’t just settle on the first set of odds you see, as they will vary depending on what site you are looking at.

Who wouldn’t want to win more money on each wager you make? So, shop around for your Best Odds and get every edge you can over the sportsbooks.