NHL Eastern Conference Winner Odds & Predictions 2024/25: Rangers Defense Continues to Regress

• The Florida Panthers currently lead the Eastern Conference with 23 total points

• Carolina’s odds to win the Eastern Conference Finals continue to grow

• The New York Rangers defense ranks 26th overall in Expected Goals Against in All Situations

After getting off to a hot start at the beginning of the season, the New York Rangers have fallen back down to reality as their lack of defensive production continues to put them in high-variance contests. Even with Vezina Trophy award contender Igor Shesterkin in net, the Rangers' defense have been prone to getting beat at an alarming rate as their back line continues to struggle with limiting the quality of opposing Shots on Goal as their high mark in Expected Goals Against indicates.

While the Rangers offense have cooled off a bit, the Carolina Hurricanes front line have recently leaped over them for first in Expected Goals For by averaging 4.10 Expected Goals per game. Unfortunately for Carolina, their defense continues to handicap their ceiling as their back line currently ranks below league average in Expected Goals Against in All Situations. The New Jersey Devils meanwhile continue to rank top-5 in both advanced metrics, as well as roll out two goalies who continue to play at a high level.

NHL Eastern Conference Championship Odds 

Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook. Use our promo code WSN1000 when creating an account at Caesars to claim the following bonus: $1,000 First Bet on Caesars OR $250 in Bonus Bets.

The rest of field listed at +1000 or higher

NHL 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 as they enter the year listed as one of the betting favorites to win the Eastern Conference Championship.

Florida Panthers (+500) at FanDuel

After getting off to a slow start, the reigning Stanley Cup champions are now the current points leader in the Eastern Conference standings with 23 total points. An impressive feat when the Panthers continue to underwhelm on both sides of the ice as their defense currently ranks 15th overall in Expected Goals Against in All Situations while their offense ranks 20th in Expected Goals For.

While their low mark in Expected Goals Against was expected after losing some key defenseman in the offseason, the Panthers' slow start on offense is inexcusable after bringing back their core who led them to top-2 marks in Expected Goals For last year. Fortunately for Florida, Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight continue to play at a high level as they average a combined 2.87 Goals Against per game. Until their offense rounds back into form, then pass on the Panthers odds to win the Eastern Conference Finals.

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Carolina Hurricanes (+500) at FanDuel

After a hot stretch of play, the Carolina Hurricanes offense now ranks first overall in Expected Goals For in All Situations and in 5-on-5 Play. Every bit of their offensive production has been needed while their defense continues to underwhelm as the Hurricanes back line currently ranks in the bottom half of the board in Expected Goals Against in All Situations.

A stunning level of play when factoring in how well their goaltending has been as Pyotr Kochetkov is averaging 2.51 Goals Against per game and a Save Percentage of .896 while Frederik Andersen is averaging an astonishing 1.49 Goals Against and a Save Percentage of .941. Even with both goalies playing at a high level, they will desperately need their back line to improve should they want to sustain their high marks in net. Especially if their offense cools off, increasing the level of negative variance.

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New Jersey Devils (+600) at BetMGM

With the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes both having glaring weaknesses as the current betting favorites to win the Eastern Conference Championship, the New Jersey Devils are one of the more well-rounded contenders as they currently rank top-5 in Expected Goals For and Expected Goals Against in All Situations. While their high level of play has helped them secure the top spot in the Metropolitan division standings, their lead is vulnerable as they possess one of the lower Points Percentages in the division.

Fortunately for New Jersey, positive regression will continue to linger over them should they sustain their top-5 marks in Expected Goals on both sides of the ice. Especially if their pair of goalies Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen continue to play at a high level as Markstrom is averaging 2.67 Goals Against per game and a Save Percentage of .902 while Jake Allen is averaging 2.60 Goals Against and a Save Percentage of .904.

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Who Will Win the NHL Eastern Conference Championship - My Pick 

New York Rangers (+550) at Caesars

Even with an offense that ranks second overall in Expected Goals For in All Situations, the New York Rangers continue to find themselves playing in high variance contests as their defense ranks well below league average in Expected Goals Against. This has been a common theme for the Rangers this season, especially when their offense has cooled off a bit which has increased the amount of negative variance.

Vezina Trophy contender Igor Shesterkin can not continue to bail out the Rangers defense, desperately needing help from his back line in order to sustain his high marks in Goals Against per game and Save Percentage. Should their defense manage to round back into form while their offense continues to dominate, then the Rangers can make a case for being one of the more well-rounded contenders who are built for a deep run in the playoffs.

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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 repeated as conference champions 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 when the Eastern Conference was called the Prince of Wales Conference.

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 NHL 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 +500 at BetMGM Sportsbook and as high as +550 at Caesars. That is a difference of $50 in profit for a $100 bettor.

Another benefit of acquiring multiple sportsbooks is that you can collect multiple signup bonuses and promos to help boost your bankroll during the NHL season. FanDuel Sportsbook for example is giving new users $150 in bonus bets after creating an account and winning their 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 the Rangers to win the Eastern Conference at their current odds of +550, then a $100 wager would profit you $550 should they win the championship. Should 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.