NHL Atlantic Division Winner Odds, Favorites, Best Bets 2025: Matthews Return Keeps the Maple Leafs in Contention

• Auston Matthews has generated five points in two games since returning from injury

• The Toronto Maple Leafs have a four point lead for first in the Atlantic division standings

• Florida ranks top-10 in Expected Goals For and Expected Goals Against in All Situations

Since returning from injury, Auston Matthews has wasted no time in his efforts of rounding back into form as he has generated five total points in his last two games played. With Matthews back on the ice, the Maple Leafs are poised to climb back up the board in Expected Goals For in All Situations as the star center is the focal point of their offense. Nearing the halfway point of the season, Matthews is averaging an astonishing 0.66 Expected Goals and 4.19 Shots on Goal per game.

As for the other top contenders, the Florida Panthers are still within reach of first place and are starting to turn into a well rounded contender as they currently rank top-10 in Expected Goals For and Expected Goals Against in All Situations. The Tampa Bay Lightning meanwhile have trickled down the Atlantic division standings after losing their last four games in a row. Fortunately for Tampa, positive regression looms large as they still grade out well on both sides of the ice in regard to Expected Goals.

Atlantic Division Winner Odds 2025

Odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Click on the odds in the table below to head to BetMGM Sportsbook and place your bets: Get up to $1,500 in bonus bets should you lose your first wager after creating an account with the WSN promo code WSNSPORTS.

Atlantic Division Winner Predictions and Favorites to Win 

With Auston Matthews back from injury, the Toronto Maple Leafs are in a great position to hold on to their lead in the Atlantic division standings.

Florida Panthers (+165) at Caesars

Even though the reigning Stanley Cup champions failed in their efforts of leaping over the Toronto Maple Leafs while Auston Matthews was out with an injury, the Florida Panthers are still in contention for the division title as they are just four points back from first. In their current position, the Panthers also have a great opportunity to make the playoffs as they have an eight point lead over the fourth place Lightning for one of the three auto berths.

Should Florida want to win their second straight division title and make another deep run in the playoffs, then they must maintain their recent level of play as the Panthers currently rank top-10 in Expected Goals For and Expected Goals Against in All Situations. With a high level of production on both sides of the ice, the Panthers get the benefit of combating against less variance in their contests which increases their chances of securing the win and sparking a prolonged hot stretch of play.

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Tampa Bay Lightning (+550) at FanDuel

After steadily climbing up the Atlantic division standings, the Tampa Bay Lightning have come tumbling down after losing their last four contests in a row. During their cold stretch of play, the Lightning offense has steadily regressed as their front line has dropped down to 13th overall in Expected Goals For in All Situations with an average of 3.13 Expected Goals per game.

While their offense has regressed, their defense has actually steadily improved as the Lightning back line currently ranks fourth overall in Expected Goals Against in All Situations. Former Vezina Trophy winner Andrei Vasilevskiy has played a major role in their success on defense as the star goalie is averaging just 2.37 Goals Against per game and a .914 Save Percentage. Should Tampa Bay’s offense break out of their slump, then expect the Lightning to climb back up the Atlantic division standings.

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Boston Bruins (+4000) at Caesars

Tampa Bay’s fall has been Boston’s gain as the Bruins are currently in third place in the Atlantic division standings and in possession of one of the three auto berths for the playoffs. Securing one of the top three spots in the division standings is vital as it allows you to avoid having to compete with the rest of the NHL Eastern Conference for one of the two wildcard spots.

Unfortunately for Boston, negative regression looms large as their offense continues to struggle with playing at a competitive level. As of writing, the Bruins front line ranks 21st overall in Expected Goals For in All Situations with an average of 2.96 Expected Goals per game. Even with their defense playing at a very high level, their lack of offensive production brings in a high amount of variance which hurts their chances of sustaining their current pace of points.

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Who Will Win the Atlantic Division - My Pick 

Toronto Maple Leafs (+120) at BetMGM

With Auston Matthews back on the ice, the Toronto Maple Leafs offense has received a major boost in production as the star center excels at generating high quality scoring opportunities. When healthy, Matthews is averaging 0.66 Expected Goals and 4.19 Shots on Goal per game. His presence also commands defensive attention when he crashes down the ice, opening up wider shooting lanes for his teammates to exploit.

Even with their offense expected to round back into form, Toronto is in desperate need of their back line breaking out of their slump as their defense has dropped down to 15th overall in Expected Goals Against in All Situations. By providing their net better coverage, it also puts their back up goalie Joseph Woll in a more favorable position to succeed while Anthony Stolarz is out with an injury. Should Toronto’s defense elevate their level of play, then expect the Maple Leafs to hold onto their lead in the division standings.

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Who Won the Atlantic Division in 2023/2024?

The Florida Panthers won the Atlantic division title in 2023-2024, claiming their third title since making their return to the division in 2013.

Atlantic Division History

Seemingly a revolving door for teams to make brief appearances before moving on to somewhere else, the Atlantic division has seen plenty of different teams claim the division title over the years. The New Jersey Devils currently hold the record for the most Atlantic division titles, winning the division nine times before departing for the Metropolitan division. The Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers are currently tied for first for teams still active in the Atlantic, winning the division three times apiece.

Past Atlantic Division Winners

How to Choose the Best Sportsbook for Betting on the Atlantic Division Winner

When looking to make a wager on the Atlantic futures market, it’s important to create an account with as many online sportsbooks as you can. This allows you to line shop the market as odds can vary between each book. When betting on the Maple Leafs to win the Atlantic, their odds can be found as high as +120 at BetMGM and as low as +110 at Caesars. That is a difference of $10 in profit for a $100 bettor.

Another perk of creating an account with multiple sportsbooks is that you can collect their new user signup bonuses to help boost your bankroll. FanDuel Sportsbook for example is giving new users $200 in bonus bets after creating an account and placing your first bet of at least $5.

How to Read Atlantic Division Winner Odds

Before making any type of wager, it’s important to know how the listed odds work. Should you want to bet the Maple Leafs to win the division at their current odds of +120, then a $100 wager would profit you $120 if they win the Atlantic. Should you wait to see if they get off to a lead in the division standings and are listed with a minus sign in front of their odds (ex: -130), then you would need to wager $130 to profit $100.