NHL Central Division Winner Odds, Favorites to Win, Best Bets 2024/25: Stars Listed as the New Betting Favorite

• The Dallas Stars are the new betting favorite to win the Central Division title

• The Stars, Winnipeg Jets, and Utah Hockey Club are tied for first in the division standings

• Colorado ranks above the league average in Expected Goals For and Expected Goals Against in All Situations

Entering the year listed below the Colorado Avalanche on the oddsboard for the Central division title, the Dallas Stars have made quick work in their efforts of being listed as the new betting favorite after a hot start to their season. At 3-0-0 and six total points, the Stars are currently tied with the Winnipeg Jets and Utah Hockey Club for first place in the division standings. As for the Avs, they have yet to win a game and are sitting at the bottom of the division standings with zero total points.

While the Stars have managed to remain unbeaten, they are flirting with danger as their offense has yet to round back into form since reconfiguring their top line. Entering the second week of the season, the Stars' offense ranks near dead last in Expected Goals For in All Situations. Speaking of regression, the Avs are due for some positive regression as they are one of the few teams who rank above league average in both Expected Goals For and Expected Goals Against in All Situations.

NHL Central Division Winner Odds 2024/25

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Click on the odds in the table below to head to FanDuel Sportsbook and place your bets: Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets if Your Bet Wins.

Central Division Winner Predictions and Favorites to Win 

With the Avs defense still in flux, the Dallas Stars are now listed as the new betting favorite to win the division title.

Colorado Avalanche (+370) at FanDuel

Even at 0-3-0, the Colorado Avalanche have managed to remain competitive as they are one of the few teams in the league who currently rank above league average in both Expected Goals For and Expected Goals Against in All Situations. Their high marks in Expected Goals Against may come as a surprise, especially after conceding a combined 20 goals scored against them in their first three games of the season.

That indicates their back line has done a good job at smothering the quality of opposing Shots on Goal, yet their goaltending is allowing in low-quality goals at an alarming rate. Starting goalie Alexandar Georgiev has been horrific so far in his 2024-2025 campaign, entering the second week of the season averaging 6.58 Goals Against per Game while generating a lowly Save Percentage of .790. Until their goaltending can drastically elevate their level of play, pass on the Avs current short odds to win the division title as they will be in too many heavy variance contests.

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Winnipeg Jets (+550) at BetMGM

After winning the Vezina Trophy in 2023-2024, the Winnipeg Jets Connor Hellebuyck is already on pace to claim his second straight award after starting his year averaging just 0.66 Goals Against per Game while generating a Save Percentage of .976. His elite level of production in net has helped the Jets defense get off to a hot start, entering the second week of the season ranked second overall in Expected Goals Against in All Situations.

While their defense has been dominant, their offense has yet to give them the production they need to help increase the chances of pulling away from their competition as they rank below league average in Expected Goals For in 5-on-5 Play. With their lack of offense, the Jets have had to squeak out two close wins in overtime. Winning a high amount of low-scoring affairs brings in too much variance over the full course of the season, making the Jets a pass at their current odds to win the division title.

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Nashville Predators (+600) at FanDuel

Knowing they needed to add more production to help take one step closer to being a viable contender for the division title, the Nashville Predators were aggressive in their efforts of adding talent throughout the offseason. One of those additions includes Tampa Bay Lightning’s longtime captain Steven Stamkos, giving the Preds a veteran presence who still generates a high level of offensive production on a daily basis.

Their additions to the roster have already seemingly paid off as the Predators currently rank second overall in Expected Goals For and top-10 in Expected Goals Against in All Situations. While their high level of play has yet to result in a win, positive regression is looming large should they manage to maintain their high level of play. At their current odds, the Predators are potentially worth a wager to win the division to pair along with our Stars tickets. Pass on them for now until we have more data points, but be prepared to make a wager should they continue to excel on both sides of the ice.

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Who Will Win the Central Division - My Pick 

Dallas Stars (+155) at FanDuel

After entering the season listed as one of the betting favorites to win the Stanley Cup, as well as the division title, the Dallas Stars have looked the part on paper by getting out to a 3-0-0 start. By managing to remain undefeated, as well as the Colorado Avalanche going 0-2-0, the Stars are now the new betting favorites to win the division title entering the second week of the regular season.

While the Stars have yet to lose a game, they are flirting with disaster as their metrics do not back up their success. Especially on offense as the Stars currently rank near dead last in Expected Goals For in All Situations. With their defense ranking just 11th overall in Expected Goals Against, their front line needs to quickly elevate their level of play should they want to continue to win at a high rate. With that said, three games is hardly enough to put too much stock into and any concerns over their season-long outlook should be tempered for now.

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Who Won the Central Division in 2023/2024?

The Dallas Stars won the Central division in 2023-2024, claiming their fourth title since joining the division in 2013.

Central Division History

The Central division has seen plenty of changes over the years, constantly welcoming in new teams as others depart due to realignment. The Detroit Red Wings currently lead the division for most division titles, winning the division 13 times before moving to the Atlantic division. For teams still in the Central, the Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues are tied for first with four division titles apiece. The Colorado Avalanche were the last Central division winner to also win the Stanley Cup, winning both titles in 2021-2022.

Past Central Division Winners

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

When making a wager on the Central division market, it’s vital to acquire as many NHL sportsbooks as you can get. This allows you to line shop the market as odds can drastically vary between each sportsbook. When betting on the Stars to win the Central division title, their odds can be found as high as +155 at FanDuel and as low as +140 at BetMGM. That is a difference of $15 in profit for a $100 bettor.

Another benefit of acquiring multiple sportsbooks is that you can collect multiple signup bonuses to help boost the bankroll. Caesars Sportsbook for example is giving new users up to $1,000 First Bet on Caesars should you lose your first wager after creating an account with the WSN promo code WSN1000.

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How to Read Central Division Winner Odds

Before making any type of wager, it’s important to know how the listed odds work. Should you bet on the Stars to win the Central division title at their current odds of +155, then a $100 wager would profit you $155 should they win the division. Should you wait to see if they create a gap between them and the rest of the pack and are listed with a minus sign in front of their odds (ex: -130), then you would need to wager $130 to profit $100.