The NHL is set to begin the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Monday night. The action kicks off with the Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the reigning champions, the Florida Panthers. Toronto aims to end the league`s longest championship drought, while Florida advanced by defeating their state rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning, in the opening round. Notably, a team from Florida has reached the Stanley Cup Final in each of the last five seasons.
In another Eastern Conference series, the Carolina Hurricanes will travel north to face the Metropolitan Division winners, the Washington Capitals. Their series is scheduled to start on Tuesday.
Tuesday night will also feature the Edmonton Oilers taking on the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference semifinals.
Both the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets secured their spots in dramatic Game 7 victories and are set to commence their semifinal series on Wednesday.
With the second-round matchups confirmed, betting experts Sean Allen (covering the East) and Victoria Matiash (covering the West) offer their top betting selections for each series, including predictions for the Conn Smythe Trophy (playoffs MVP).
All times ET. Odds accurate as of time of publication.
Florida Panthers at Toronto Maple Leafs
Game 1: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario; Monday, 8 p.m.
- Game 1 puck Line: Maple Leafs +1.5 (-265), Panthers -1.5 (+190)
- Series winner: Maple Leafs (+150), Panthers (-175)
- Series length: Four games (+600), five games (+270), six games (+200), seven games (+180)
Best bets: The Maple Leafs successfully navigated their first-round challenges, which involved overcoming past playoff struggles. The Panthers won the regular season series 3-1, but this playoff matchup is expected to be tightly contested, with small details making the difference.
While both teams feature two strong scoring lines that can match up effectively, the performance of the depth forwards might tilt the momentum. Florida`s third line of Anton Lundell, Brad Marchand, and Eetu Luostarinen proved problematic for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round. The question is whether the Maple Leafs` bottom six can handle this challenge.
Considering the road team is favored in Game 1 according to the odds, there`s value in backing the Leafs to capitalize on their home advantage early, but ultimately predicting a Panthers series win at enhanced odds. A bet on the Maple Leafs to win Game 1 and lose the series offers +300 odds, significantly better than just taking the Panthers to win the series at -175. If you believe in the Panthers, a series spread bet on Panthers -1.5 at +110 provides a good payout if they win in six games or less.
However, maintaining the season-long prediction for the Leafs to go all the way, a wager on the Maple Leafs to win Game 1 and win the series at (+230) is appealing. This Leafs team appears to have significant momentum heading into the second round.
Looking at player props, Carter Verhaeghe has a history of success against the Maple Leafs, including the 2023 playoffs where he scored three goals in five games against them. In the regular season series this year, Verhaeghe recorded two goals and four points in four games, along with a high volume of shot attempts (25 total: seven shots on goal, five missed, and 13 blocked). He presents intriguing opportunities in player prop categories with relatively long odds, such as most goals in series (+1000), most shots on goal in series (+1000), and scoring a hat trick in any game (+1100), aligning with his strong track record against Toronto.
If the Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup, who wins the Conn Smythe? Auston Matthews is listed with the best odds at 18-1 among Leafs players. Mitch Marner`s odds improved from 50-1 before Round 1 to 25-1 entering Round 2. William Nylander (60-1) currently leads the team in goals and points. However, Anthony Stolarz (20-1) has been crucial with timely goaltending performances, leading the Leafs to the second round.
If the Panthers win the Stanley Cup, who wins the Conn Smythe? Four Panthers players are among the top 20 candidates for the Conn Smythe, similar to before Round 1. Instead of Sergei Bobrovsky (16-1), Aleksander Barkov (18-1), or Matthew Tkachuk (18-1), consider Sam Reinhart (25-1). Reinhart leads the team in points and logs significantly more ice time per game than other forwards (a full two and a half minutes more).
Carolina Hurricanes at Washington Capitals
Game 1: Capital One Arena, Washington; Tuesday, 7 p.m.
- Game 1 puck Line: Hurricanes -1.5 (+190), Capitals +1.5 (-265)
- Series winner: Hurricanes (-175), Capitals (+150)
- Series length: Four games (+600), five games (+260), six games (+195), seven games (+200)
Best bets: Similar to the Panthers-Leafs series, the oddsmakers favor the lower seed to win this series, making the Game 1/series winner combination bets more attractive. A similar approach to the other series might be wise, considering the Capitals to win Game 1 and lose the series at (+320) as a strategy to improve the odds on a Hurricanes series win.
The Capitals and Hurricanes split their four regular-season meetings. Carolina had a slight edge by pushing one loss to a shootout. Alex Ovechkin participated in three games against Carolina, scoring two goals.
For the Hurricanes, Seth Jarvis and Jackson Blake each scored three goals against the Capitals in the regular season. Dmitry Orlov also notable for directing pucks towards the net against his former team, with 10 shots on goal, eight missed shots, and 10 attempts blocked across four games.
The key difference-makers for the Capitals have been their defensemen and top forward line. Jakob Chychrun and John Carlson positively impact goal differential at even strength when on the ice together, with plus-seven and plus-six ratings respectively. Meanwhile, Anthony Beauvillier, after a modest five points in 18 regular-season games with Washington post-trade deadline, has become a point-per-game player alongside Ovechkin and Dylan Strome (consider a bet on player to score two-plus goals in series at +275 for Beauvillier).
For Carolina, Andrei Svechnikov, with odds of +1200 for most goals in the series, moved up to the top line by Game 4 against the Devils. He is now tied with Mikko Rantanen for the goal-scoring lead among players remaining in the postseason with five tallies. Frederik Andersen is expected to return in net for the Hurricanes after missing the final game and a half of the previous series against New Jersey.
If the Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup, who wins the Conn Smythe? Sebastian Aho (14-1) is performing better as the playoffs progress, increasing or matching his point totals in each game against the Devils. Adding Svechnikov to his line makes it even more potent. Aho`s knack for game-winning goals continues, including an overtime winner in the first round.
If the Capitals win the Stanley Cup, who wins the Conn Smythe? Alex Ovechkin`s odds for the Conn Smythe slightly improved from 25-1 before Round 1 to 20-1 now, likely reflecting the long odds of Washington winning the Cup. Ovi led Washington with four goals in the first round, including an overtime winner. If the Capitals were to hoist the Cup, Ovechkin would likely be named MVP.
Edmonton Oilers at Vegas Golden Knights
Game 1: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada; Tuesday, 9:30 p.m.
- Game 1 puck line: Golden Knights -1.5 (+175), Oilers +1.5 (-225)
- Series winner: Oilers (-110), Golden Knights (-110)
- Series length: Four games (+700), five games (+270), six games (+195), seven games (+180)
While Calvin Pickard performed adequately filling in for Stuart Skinner in the first round, goaltender Adin Hill notably improved throughout Vegas` series against the Minnesota Wild, posting a .918 save percentage in his final three games. Aside from one or two exceptional players (perhaps three, including Evan Bouchard`s contribution against Los Angeles), the Golden Knights seem to have an advantage over Edmonton in most other aspects. If Jack Eichel and his line can somewhat contain Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl – a challenging task, without question – Vegas` superior team defense, goaltending, and scoring depth should be enough to see them advance, likely in six games.
Best bets: Eichel series total goals over 2.5 (+150). After a slow start against Minnesota, Vegas` most productive player found his stride, contributing a goal and four assists on 14 shots in the last three games. Expected to play over 20 minutes on the Knights` most dynamic line with Mark Stone and William Karlsson, Eichel is well-positioned to build on his total against an Oilers defense still without Mattias Ekholm and weaker goaltending.
For lower odds, Eichel series total points over 6.5 (-125) is even more attractive, especially if the series extends to six games or more. Eighth in NHL scoring during the regular season, the top center averaged 1.22 points per game. He also recorded nine points against the Oilers when they met in the postseason two years ago.
Regarding shots on goal, consider Evan Bouchard to record 2+ shots on goal in each game (+320). Bouchard averaged 3.67 shots per game in the first round and failed to register at least two shots only once in six games against the Kings. A standout performer in the opening series and a key reason the Oilers are still competing, the defenseman is likely to continue generating frequent shots on net. While hitting this target every single game is a big ask, the appealing odds reflect this challenge.
If the Oilers win the Stanley Cup, who wins the Conn Smythe? Connor McDavid (+800). The fact that McDavid`s odds improved from +1600 since the start of the first round speaks volumes. He is currently leading the league in points per game (1.83) and is the current favorite for the award. It`s difficult to bet against a player who won the award even when his team lost in last year`s Final.
If the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup, who wins the Conn Smythe? Mark Stone (+3000). For value, stick with the heart and soul of this Golden Knights team. One of the game`s most effective two-way forwards, Stone is expected to elevate his game against Edmonton`s two superstars. If the Knights overcome the Oilers, then either the Stars or Jets, and finally defeat the Eastern Conference champion, it will likely be due to a superlative performance from one of the league`s most complete players.
Dallas Stars at Winnipeg Jets
Game 1: Canada Life Centre, Winnipeg; Wednesday, 9:30 p.m.
- Game 1 puck line: Jets -1.5 (+220), Stars +1.5 (-325)
- Series winner: Stars (-165), Jets (+135)
Picks to come
