The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs are kicking off on Saturday with a couple of exciting Western Conference first-round matchups. One of these games features a surprising St. Louis Blues team, who will be visiting the Winnipeg Jets, the Presidents` Trophy winners. The Blues had an impressive run at the end of the regular season, winning 12 games in a row and earning points in 14 of their last 16 games, which helped them secure the second wild-card spot in the West.
In another game on Saturday, the Dallas Stars will be hosting the Colorado Avalanche. These Central Division rivals are meeting again after their second-round series last postseason, where the Stars managed to eliminate the Avalanche in six games.
Three more first-round series are scheduled to begin on Sunday, and another two will start on Monday. The Florida Panthers, who are the current Stanley Cup champions, will start defending their title against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday. This is the second year in a row that the `Battle of Florida` will be taking place in the first round of the playoffs, with the Panthers having defeated the Lightning in five games last year.
Another familiar playoff matchup in the West is between the Los Angeles Kings and the Edmonton Oilers. These Pacific Division teams will begin their series in Los Angeles on Monday, marking the fourth consecutive postseason that they are facing each other in the first round. Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals will be hosting the Montreal Canadiens for Game 1 of their series.
The other Western Conference series will see the Minnesota Wild playing against the Vegas Golden Knights, starting on Sunday in Las Vegas. Also on Sunday, the New Jersey Devils will be visiting the Carolina Hurricanes for their first game, and the `Battle of Ontario` will begin in Toronto with the Maple Leafs hosting the Ottawa Senators.
Winnipeg and Vegas are considered strong favorites to win their respective series in the West, with the Jets having odds around -210 and the Golden Knights at -235 or higher at most betting platforms. Oddsmakers also believe that three of the four Eastern Conference matchups are quite one-sided, with Carolina, Washington, and Toronto being heavily favored to win. Some sportsbooks have the Hurricanes at -300 or higher, while the Capitals` odds are around -275.
Here are some teams that might offer good value when considering bets on first-round series victories.
Best Bets
Dallas Stars (+140, Caesars)
Although the Stars have lost four out of their six postseason games against the Avalanche and had a less favorable record in the 2024-25 season series (1-1-1), there are reasons to consider them. Dallas boasts a superior goaltender in Jake Oettinger, who ranked third in the NHL with 36 wins and is a potential Vezina Trophy finalist. They also have Mikko Rantanen, a former Avalanche star who has consistently scored 30 or more goals for the past five seasons. While Jason Robertson, Dallas`s leading scorer this season, might be injured, the Stars still have strong offensive players like Wyatt Johnston and Matt Duchene, along with Roope Hintz, Mason Marchment, and others who can contribute to scoring against Colorado.
Los Angeles Kings (+115, DraftKings)
Historically, the Kings haven`t had much playoff success against the Oilers, losing eight of their ten previous series, including the last six. However, this time, the Kings have home-ice advantage and were the best home team in the NHL in the 2024-25 season, with an impressive 31-5-4 record at home. They also have a strong advantage in goal with Darcy Kuemper, who previously led Colorado to a championship in 2022. Despite Edmonton`s star power with McDavid and Draisaitl, this could be the year the Kings break their losing streak against their division rivals.
Tampa Bay Lightning (-102, FanDuel)
Even though Sergei Bobrovsky outperformed Andrei Vasilevskiy in their last postseason matchup, betting against Tampa Bay might be risky. The Lightning have two 40-goal scorers in Brayden Point and Jake Guentzel. They also feature Nikita Kucherov, who led the NHL in scoring and has a history of strong playoff performances. While the Panthers are the defending champions and might have Matthew Tkachuk back, Tkachuk`s recent injury could hinder his performance, potentially giving the high-powered Lightning an edge in this series.
