NHL Eastern Conference Odds & Predictions 2025: Rangers Playoff Odds Continue to Decline

• Washington leads the Eastern Conference with 65 total points and a .722 point percentage

• The Florida Panthers are the current betting favorite to win the Eastern Conference Championship

• The New York Rangers defense ranks 30th in Expected Goals Against in All Situations and 29th in 5-on-5 Play

After winning the Presidents’ Trophy last season, the New York Rangers have failed to sustain their high level of play as their odds to make the playoffs continue to rapidly decline. Their lack of defensive production has played a major role in their struggles as the Rangers back line currently ranks 30th overall in Expected Goals Against in All Situations and 29th in 5-on-5 Play. With minimal support from their defense, the Rangers continue to play in high variance contests which hurts their chances of winning.

As for the rest of the contenders, the Washington Capitals currently possess a seven-point lead over the Toronto Maple Leafs for first in the Eastern Conference standings. Their offense excels at generating high-quality Shots on Goal as their front line ranks fourth in Expected Goals For in All Situations. Even though the Capitals sit at the top of the standings, oddsmakers believe the reigning Stanley Cup champions are the team to beat as the Florida Panthers possess the shortest odds to win the conference title.

NHL Eastern Conference Championship Odds

Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook. Click on the odds in the table below to head to Caesars Sportsbook and place your bets. Bet $1 and double your winnings on your next 10 bets with the WSN promo code WSNDYW.

The rest of field listed at +800 or higher

Eastern Conference Championship Predictions and Favorites to Win 

After winning the Stanley Cup last season, oddsmakers believe the Florida Panthers are poised for another deep run in the playoffs as they are currently listed as one of the betting favorites to win the Eastern Conference Championship.

Florida Panthers (+450) at Caesars

Even after going 4-5-1 in their last 10 games, the Florida Panthers continue to sit at the top of the oddsboard as the betting favorite to win the Eastern Conference Championship. While they struggled to string together wins, their offense managed to play at a high level as their front line currently ranks eighth overall in Expected Goals For in All Situations with an average of 3.28 Expected Goals per game.

Unfortunately for Florida, negative regression looms large as Sergei Bobrovsky is in the midst of a cold stretch of play. Since the calendar flipped to January, the former Vezina Trophy winner has averaged 3.06 Goals Against per game and a .894 Save Percentage. Not only has Bobrovsky struggled, but the Panthers' back line has also steadily regressed as they now rank 12th overall in Expected Goals Against in All Situations. Until their defense rounds back into form, then pass on the Panthers to win the conference title.

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Carolina Hurricanes (+475) at Caesars

Since the start of the regular season, the Carolina Hurricanes front line have been one of the more formidable units in the league as they create high-quality scoring opportunities at a consistent rate. Heading into the second half of the season, the Hurricanes offense ranks second overall in Expected Goals For in All Situations and first in 5-on-5 Play.

Not only has their offense thrived, but their defense has also started to give them the production they need to be a well-rounded unit as their back line ranks eighth overall in Expected Goals Against in All Situations. Their coverage has helped their starting goalie Pyotr Kochetkov sustain his high marks in net as the Hurricanes goaltender ranks top-10 in average Goals Against per game. Should Carolina’s defense continue to improve, then the Hurricanes will be in a great position to make a deep run in the playoffs.

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New Jersey Devils (+475) at Caesars

Like the Hurricanes, the New Jersey Devils front line have also played at a very high level this season as their offense currently leads the league in Expected Goals For in All Situations with an average of 3.74 Expected Goals per game. Their star center Jack Hughes playing at full health has helped elevate their offense as he currently averages 0.42 Expected Goals and 3.81 Shots on Goal per game.

Scarier yet, the Devils' defense also excels in coverage as their back line ranks top-5 in Expected Goals Against in All Situations and in 5-on-5 Play. Jacob Markstrom has played a major role in their success this season as the Devils starting goalie is currently averaging just 2.20 Goals Against per game while generating a Save Percentage of .913. With a high level of production at all three areas of the ice, place a wager on the New Jersey Devils to win the Eastern Conference Championship.

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Who Will Win the Eastern Conference Championship - My Pick 

New York Rangers (+2200) at Caesars

Heading into the second half of the regular season, the New York Rangers are in serious jeopardy of missing out on the playoffs as they are currently four points back from the Boston Bruins in the wildcard standings for the last wildcard spot. A shockingly poor start for the Rangers, especially after entering the year listed as one of the betting favorites to win the Stanley Cup.

Their struggles can be pointed towards their defense as the Rangers' back line ranks 30th in Expected Goals Against in All Situations with an average of 3.47 Expected Goals Against per game. Not only has their back line struggled to defend their net, but Jonathan Quick has also been a slight downgrade from Igor Shesterkin after the star goalie went down with an injury. Even at their inflated odds to win the conference title, pass on the Rangers until their defense can drastically elevate their level of play.

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Who Won the NHL Eastern Conference Championship in 2023/2024?

The Florida Panthers won the Eastern Conference Championship in 2023-2024, claiming their third conference title.

NHL Eastern Conference History

While the Western Conference has seen plenty of parity, the Eastern Conference has been dominated by the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning as of late. Each club has won two straight conference championships over the past four years with the Florida Panthers winning the last two. Should the Panthers win the conference this season, then they would be the first club to three-peat since the New York Islanders did it in 1982-1984.

Past NHL Eastern Conference Winners

How to Choose the Best Sportsbook for Betting on the NHL Eastern Conference Championship

When looking to make a wager on the Eastern Conference Championship futures market, it’s vital to get as many sportsbooks as you can get. This allows you to line shop the futures market as odds can vary between each book. When betting on the New York Rangers to win the Eastern Conference Championship, they can be found as low as +2200 at BetMGM and as high as +2100 at FanDuel. That is a difference of $200 in profit for a $100 bettor.

Another benefit of acquiring multiple sportsbooks is that you can collect multiple signup bonuses to help boost your bankroll ahead of the NHL season. FanDuel Sportsbook for example is giving new users $300 in bonus bets after creating an account and winning your first bet of at least $5.

How to Read NHL Eastern Conference Winner Odds

Before making any type of wager, it’s important to know how the listed odds work. Should you bet on the Rangers to win the Eastern Conference at their current odds of +2200, then a $100 wager would profit you $2,200 if they win the conference championship. If you wait to see if they make it to the Eastern Conference Finals and are listed with a minus sign in front of their number (ex: -130), then you would need to wager $130 to profit $100 if they win the conference title.