NHL Metropolitan Division Winner Odds, Favorites to Win, Best Bets: It’s Washington’s Division Title to Lose

• Washington currently has a 12 point lead over Carolina in the Metropolitan division standings

• The Capitals Logan Thompson is averaging 2.30 Goals Against per game

• Carolina ranks top-8 in Expected Goals For and Expected Goals Against in All Situations

With a 12 point lead over Carolina for first and less than 15 games remaining in the regular season, the Washington Capitals are just a few wins away from locking up the Metropolitan division title. Their goaltending has played a key role in their success as Logan Thompson has been able to mask their struggles on defense by averaging just 2.30 Goals Against per game.

Even though Carolina’s chances of winning the division looks bleak, the Hurricanes are in a better position to sustain their current rate of points as they rank top-8 in Expected Goals For and Expected Goals Against in All Situations. If the Capitals go through a cold stretch of play due to their lack of defensive production, then the Hurricanes will have the opportunity to win the division title at the last second.

NHL Metropolitan Division Winner Odds 2025

Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook. Click on the odds in the table below to head to Caesars Sportsbook, use WSN promo code WSNDYW and place your bets: Bet $1, Get 10 100% Profit Boost Tokens

Metropolitan Division Winner Predictions and Favorites to Win 

Even with their back line struggling to play at a competitive level, the Capitals goaltending and high powered offense have been able to mask their struggles on defense to help lead them to a division title.

Washington Capitals at FanDuel

With a 14 point lead over the Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils, the Washington Capitals are just a few wins away from locking up the division title. Their front line has played a major role in their success as their offense ranks fifth in Expected Goals For in All Situations. Even at the end of his career, Alexander Ovechkin has still excelled at pressuring the net as the future hall of famer is averaging 0.48 Expected Goals per game in his pursuit of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s career goal scoring record.

Even though the Capitals have been able to solely rely on their offense throughout the season, they are still in desperate need of their back line elevating their level of play should they want to make a run in the playoffs. As of writing, the Capitals defense ranks 15th in Expected Goals Against in All Situations with an average of 3.05 Expected Goals Against per game. Their lack of defensive production brings in a high amount of variance into their contests, hurting their chances of winning against well rounded units.

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Carolina Hurricanes at BetMGM

Even after trading away Martin Necas to the Colorado Avalanche, the Carolina Hurricanes front line have been able to sustain their high level of play as their offense currently leads the league in Expected Goals For in All Situations with an average of 3.61 Expected Goals per game. Newly acquired Mikko Rantanen has proven he can replicate Necas’ loss of offensive production as the former Av is averaging 0.46 Expected Goals and 2.80 Shots on Goal per game.

To help turn Carolina into a well rounded contender, the Hurricanes back line have also managed to play at a very competitive level as their defense ranks ninth overall in Expected Goals Against in All Situations. Should the Hurricanes be able to sustain their current marks on both sides of the ice, then they will be in a great position to make a deep run in the playoffs. Pass on the Hurricanes at their current odds to win the division, but consider laying a wager on them to win the Eastern Conference Championship.

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New Jersey Devils at Caesars

The injury to Jacob Markstrom could not come at a worse time for the New Jersey Devils as the Columbus Blue Jackets are not too far behind them for the third spot in the division standings. Markstrom was instrumental in their success as the star goalie was averaging just 2.20 Goals Against per game and a .912 Save Percentage. To make matters worse for the Devils, their back line has also steadily regressed as they have fallen down to 14th overall in Expected Goals Against in All Situations.

Fortunately for New Jersey, their front line has been able to keep them competitive by consistently generating a high amount of Expected Goals as the Devils offense ranks second overall in Expected Goals For in All Situations. Still, without help from their defense, the Devils are forced to combat against a high amount of variance which hurts their chances of sparking a hot stretch of play to help close the gap between them and Washington. Even at their current odds, pass on the Devils to win the division title.

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Who Will Win the Metropolitan Division - My Pick 

New York Rangers at Caesars

It has been a severely disappointing season for the New York Rangers as they are currently out of the playoff picture after entering the year listed as one of the betting favorites to win the Stanley Cup. Their back line struggling to defend their net has played a major role in their underwhelming performance as their defense ranks 29th overall in Expected Goals Against in All Situations with an average of 3.36 Expected Goals Against per game.

To make matters worse for the Rangers, their star goalie Igor Shesterkin has struggled to round back into form after returning from injury as the former Vezina Trophy winner is averaging nearly three Goals Against per game. Even with their offense playing at a very high level, the Rangers are in desperate need of their back line and goaltending elevating their level of play should they want to salvage their hopes of making the playoffs.

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Who Won the Metropolitan Division in 2023/24?

The New York Rangers won the Metropolitan division in 2023-2024, claiming their second division title since its inception in 2013.

Metropolitan Division History

Since the NHL’s realignment in 2013, only four teams have managed to win the Metropolitan division title. The Washington Capitals are the current leaders with five division titles, followed behind the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers who are tied at two apiece. The Pittsburgh Penguins have also managed to win the division when they won the Metropolitan in 2014.

Past Metropolitan Division Winners

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

When making a wager on the Metropolitan division winner 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 Rangers to win the Metropolitan division, their odds can be found as high as +30000 at Caesars and as low as +27500 at FanDuel. That is a difference of $2,500 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. BetMGM Sportsbook for example is giving new users $150 in bonus bets after creating an account and winning your first bet of at least $10 with the WSN promo code WSNSPORTS.

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How to Read Metropolitan Division Winner Odds

Before making any type of wager, it’s vital to understand how listed odds work. Should you bet on the Rangers to win the Metropolitan division at their current odds of +30000, then a $100 wager would profit you $30,000 if they win the division. If you wait to see if they get off to a sizable lead and are listed with a minus sign in front of their odds (ex: -130), then you would need to wager $130 to profit $100.