NHL Atlantic Division Winner Odds, Favorites to Win, Best Bets 2024/25: Florida Panthers in a Position To Grow Their Lead

• The Florida Panthers lead the division with a 11-3-1 record and 23 total points

• Florida’s offense ranks well below league average in Expected Goals For in All Situations

• Auston Matthews has been placed on IR after suffering an upper body injury

After a slow start to the year, the Florida Panthers are now back on top of the Atlantic division standings with a 11-3-1 record and 23 total points. Their defense has managed to play at a competitive level after reconfiguring their back lines in the offseason as they currently rank above league average in Expected Goals Against in All Situations. While their defense has thrived, their offense has uncharacteristically struggled as the Panthers also rank well below league average in Expected Goals For in All Situations.

Speaking of Expected Goals, the Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the few teams in the league who rank above league average in both advanced metrics. Unfortunately for the Maple Leafs, their offense has suffered a major blow after Hart Memorial Trophy contender Auston Matthews went down with an injury and has been placed on IR. While Matthews has yet to recapture last year’s success, his injury leaves the Maple Leafs void of consistent offensive production.

Atlantic Division Winner Odds 2024/25

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.

Atlantic Division Winner Predictions and Favorites to Win 

After a slow start to the season, the Florida Panthers are now back on top of the division standings with 13 total points and a 6-3-1 record.

Florida Panthers (+100) at Caesars

After losing star defenseman Brandon Montour to the Seattle Kraken, the Florida Panthers were tasked with having to reconfigure their back line throughout the offseason. Normally resulting in a prolonged slow start to the season while the new faces build on their chemistry, the Panthers defense have already managed to play at a competitive level as their back line currently rank 14th overall in Expected Goals Against in All Situations.

While their defense has warded off regression, the reigning Stanley Cup champions offense have yet to recapture last year’s success as their front line currently ranks below league average in Expected Goals For in All Situations. A shockingly poor level of play when factoring in their continuity, yet the Panthers have struggled with creating high quality Shots on Goal. Should their offense round back into form, then the Panthers have a chance to grow their lead while the Maple Leafs are dealing with injury uncertainty.

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Tampa Bay Lightning (+550) at BetMGM

Once ranked near the top of the board in Expected Goals For in All Situations and in 5-on-5 Play, the Tampa Bay Lightning offense have seemingly cooled off as their marks in both metrics tick down to below league average. Regression was imminent after losing their captain Steven Stamkos to the Nashville Predators in the offseason as he was the focal point of their offense for a long period of time.

To make matters worse for the Lightning, their defense continues to struggle with limiting the number of high quality Shots on Goal being sent towards their net as Tampa Bay’s defense ranks well below league average in Expected Goals Against in All Situations. Even with former Vezina Trophy winner Andrei Vasilevskiy continuing to play at a high level, the Lightning can not solely rely on their goaltending and are in desperate need of their back line rounding back into competitive form.

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Boston Bruins (+1800) at Caesars

Speaking of goaltending, it’s been a rough start to the year for the Boston Bruins Jeremy Swayman as he is currently averaging 3.13 Goals Against per game and a .896 Save Percentage. An underwhelming level of play after the Bruins pushed their chips to the middle of the table by trading away Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators to help give Swayman starting goalie duties.

Not only has Swayman struggled, but the Bruins back line have done him no favors with walling off shots as Boston’s defense currently ranks well below league average in Expected Goals Against in All Situations. Factor in the Bruins offense ranking equally as poor in Expected Goals For, and it’s tough to imagine how they string together enough hot stretches of play to compete with the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs for the Atlantic division title.

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Who Will Win the Atlantic Division - My Pick 

Toronto Maple Leafs (+300) at BetMGM

After keeping pace with the Florida Panthers at the top of the Atlantic division standings, the Toronto Maple Leafs are now prone to regress after their star center Auston Matthews went down with an injury. While Matthews has yet to replicate last year’s success in terms of goals scored, he was still excelling at pressuring opposing goalies as their leader in Expected Goals per game.

Should the Maple Leafs offense regress, then it will be up to their back line to keep the team afloat during Matthews absence. Fortunately for Toronto, their defense has been one of the best units in the league as they continue to rank near the top of the board in Expected Goals Against in All Situations and in 5-on-5 Play. Pass on the Maple Leafs current odds to win the division now with regression looming over their offense, yet prepare to make a wager when Matthews returns should they dip down to a favorable number.

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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 NHL betting sites 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 +300 at BetMGM and as low as +250 at Caesars. That is a difference of $50 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 $150 in bonus bets after creating an account and winning their 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 +300, then a $100 wager would profit you $300 should 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.