NHL Central Division Betting Preview: Stanley Cup Odds, Division Odds, Props, Projections

In this article, I’ll outline the NHL Central Division betting odds, notable roster moves, and detail one best bet for each team, in descending order from most to least likely to win the Stanley Cup.

All odds in this article are courtesy of bet365.

Odds to win Stanley Cup, Conference, Division, to Make Playoffs, O/U Point Total

Team	Stanley Cup odds	Conference Odds	Division Odds	To Make Playoffs	Regular Season Point Total o/u
Chicago Blackhawks	+40000	+20000	+250000	+1600	67.5
Colorado Avalanche	+900	+450	+190	-800	103.5
Dallas Stars	+900	+450	+200	-900	104.5
Minnesota Wild	+3500	+1600	+750	-160	95.5
Nashville Predators	+10000	+5000	+3300	+240	84.5
St. Louis Blues	+5000	+2500	+1300	-105	92.5
Utah Mammoth	+3300	+1600	+1400	-110	92.5
Winnipeg Jets	+2000	+1000	+500	-270	97.5

Dallas Stars

Stanley Cup Odds: +900
To Win Conference Odds: +450
To Win Division Odds: +200
To Make the Playoffs Odds: -900
Regular Season Point Total: 104.5

Key roster additions: Glen Gulutzan (Head Coach), Radek Faksa (C) Nathan Bastian (RW) Vladislav Kolyachonok (D)

Key roster subtractions: Peter DeBoer (Head Coach), Mikael Granlund (C), Mason Marchment (LW), Evgenii Dadonov (RW), Cody Ceci (D), Matt Dumba (D), Matej Blumel (RW), Brendan Smith (D)

Best Bet: Central Division Winner: +200 (bet365, Play to +190)

In a division featuring six teams with legitimate playoff aspirations (perhaps even seven if you count the Nashville Predators), backing the Stars to win the division at a price of +200 may not seem all that appealing. Still, the Stars still look to be a cut above the rest with regards to the regular season, and in particular, seem to be undervalued compared to the division-favorite Avalanche.

A full season with Mikko Rantanen on the top line is the most obvious reason the Stars may build on last season’s total of 106 points, but the potential of Dallas offering a drastically improved defensive corps doesn’t seem to be getting enough credit.

Miro Heiskanen played just 50 regular-season games last year, the lowest total of his spectacular seven-year career. One positive from Heiskanen’s absence last season was that Thomas Harley was able to showcase himself as a full-fledged number-one defender. It seems reasonable to expect Harley to be a monster at both ends of the ice once again this season, providing Dallas with one hell of a one-two punch if Heiskanen can stay healthy.

Defensive depth was a glaring weakness for the Stars last season, as Matt Dumba, Cody Cedi, and Brendan Smith all offered drastically below average results. While Nils Lundqvist, Liam Bichsel, and Vladislav Kolyachonok aren’t overly big names, it’s entirely reasonable to believe they can vastly upgrade the minutes which were handled by the departed trio of veteran defenders.

The Stars will once again feature one of the deepest offensive offensive cores in the NHL, headlined by elite talents in Roope Hintz, Rantanen, Wyatt Johnston, and Jason Robertson. While the Stars do not have the same kind of Hart Trophy talents the Avalanche have in Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, Dallas’s overall wealth of high-end players makes me believe it is a good bet to win the division.

Colorado Avalanche

Stanley Cup Odds: +900
To Win Conference Odds: +450
To Win Division Odds: +190
To Make the Playoffs Odds: -800
Regular Season Point Total: 103.5

Key roster additions: Victor Olofsson (LW), Brent Burns (D), Gavin Brindley (C), Danil Gushchin (LW)

Key roster subtractions: Jonathan Drouin (LW), Charlie Coyle (C), Ryan Lindgren (D), Erik Johnson (D), Miles Wood (LW), Chris Wagner (C), Jimmy Vesey (RW)

Best Bet: Gabriel Landeskog 50+ Points: +150 (bet365, Play to +130)

The Avalanche fell short of their high expectations once again in the 2024-25 season, suffering a frustrating first- round exit to the rival Stars, in a series where they quite realistically may have been the better team. Barring a significant injury to one or two of their elite talents, Colorado’s floor remains extremely high, and a duo of Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood should provide strong stability in goal. A potential lack of roster depth could be a major concern when key pieces are out of the lineup, and I’m not sold on Brent Burns’ ability to offer a solid level of play at age 40.

One major cause for optimism surrounding the Avs entering the year is the potential that captain Gabriel Landeskog could be a difference-maker in the top six, after being able to have a proper offseason and training camp to prepare. Landeskog finally completed a treacherous rehab from a serious knee injury to return last postseason, recording four points in five games after not playing in an NHL contest since the Avs’ cup-clinching win in 2022.

With Victor Olofsson and Ross Colton below Landeskog on the depth chart on the wing, it’s a pretty safe to bet to assume that Landeskog will consistently receive top-six usage if he can stay healthy, even if his game isn’t quite what it once was.

Landeskog has recorded 230 points in his past 232 NHL regular-season games. There’s obviously some volatility in gambling that he can stay healthy and be somewhat close to the same player, but considering the long price of +150, I’m quite happy to take a shot.

Winnipeg Jets

Stanley Cup Odds: +2000
To Win Conference Odds: +1000
To Win Division Odds: +500
To Make the Playoffs Odds: -270
Regular Season Point Total: 97.5

Key roster additions: Jonathan Toews (C), Gustav Nyquist (RW), Phillip Di Giuseppe (LW), Tanner Pearson (LW), Cole Koepke (LW)

Key roster subtractions: Nikolaj Ehlers (LW) Brandon Tanev (LW) Dominic Toninato (C) Chris Driedger (G) Rasmus Kupari (C) Axel Jonsson-Fjallby (LW), Mason Appleton (C)

Best Bet: To Finish Fourth in the Central Division: +450 (bet365, Play to +440)

Oddsmakers are expecting the Jets to take a considerable step backwards this season, after they won the Presidents’ Trophy with 116 points last year and also led the league with a +86 goal differential.

Ehlers will likely prove to be a big loss, as the dynamic winger ranked 17th in five-on-five points per 60 over the last three seasons, and powered the Jets’ second line to strong results last year, while also being a key part of the team’s top-ranked power play.

The Jets also had good luck in terms of injuries last season, and saw the vast majority of their most important pieces play to their peak potential. Mark Scheifele (age 32) and Kyle Connor (age 28) may play to comparable results at best this season. It may also be unreasonable to expect Connor Hellebuyck to replicate the same level of dominance offered during his Hart Trophy-winning 2025 season.

Jonathan Toews currently slots in to the role of second-line center, which projects as a potential weakness on paper, though Vladislav Namestnikov has proven to be a capable swiss-army knife who could also occupy the role.

Despite the numerous arguments that the Jets will likely regress relative to last year, their floor still remains quite high in offering the game’s best goaltender, a strong backup in Eric Comrie, as well as a quality defensive core.

If their record permits it, the Jets may opt to offer Hellebuyck a slightly lesser workload this season with the hope being that he will be fresher come playoff time, which may also cap their ceiling to some extent.

It will take some luck for the Jets to finish in exactly fourth place in the division, but it appears to be a likely enough outcome for there to be value at +450. The Stars and Avalanche will likely outperform the Jets this season, but it seems reasonable to believe one of the Minnesota Wild, St. Louis Blues, and Utah Mammoth will play to their ceiling and sneak into a top-three spot in the Central, with the Wild in particular looking quite strong.

However, I don’t see the Jets letting the slide go any further down than that, especially given that they will likely ride Hellebuyck more aggressively if needed.

Utah Mammoth

Stanley Cup Odds: +3300
To Win Conference Odds: +1600
To Win Division Odds: +1400
To Make the Playoffs Odds: -110
Regular Season Point Total: 92.5

Key roster additions: J.J. Peterka (RW), Brandon Tanev (RW), Nate Schmidt (D), Vitek Vanecek (G)

Key roster subtractions: Matias Maccelli (LW), Michael Kesselring (D), Josh Doan (RW), Nick Bjugstad (C)

Best Bet: Dylan Guenther to Score 40 Goals: +700 (bet365, Play to +680)

Utah was a trendy bet to make the postseason in 2024-25, and admittedly I took the bait. It came up short of expectations, finishing with 89 points, though a big reason why was the long-term absences of two top-four defenders, Sean Durzi and John Marino.

GM Bill Armstrong made what appears to be a very attractive trade this offseason, acquiring a highly talented young scorer in J.J. Peterka from the Buffalo Sabres. Many talented young forwards have offered career numbers in recent years after leaving the Sabres, and Peterka may be poised to do the same.

However, Michael Kesselring quietly fared quite well in a difficult role for Utah last season, while Josh Doan was solid at both ends of the ice. Peterka has plenty of room for growth away from the puck, and it isn’t a foregone conclusion that the trade immediately makes Utah a better team.

Former first-round pick Maveric Lamoreaux is likely ready for a full-time role, which is certainly part of the reason that Armstrong was willing to move Kesselring to acquire another top-six winger. Having Durzi and Marino healthy, as well as the acquisition of Nate Schmidt, should also help offset Kesselring’s loss on the back end.

While there is reasonable potential for a breakout campaign from the Mammoth this season, they appear to be getting enough credit from oddsmakers for me to pass on actually betting into them hitting their ceiling. If I were forced to pick between betting whether or not the Mammoth make the playoffs (Yes -110, No -110) I would settle on yes, but in a competitive Central Division there does not seem to be value in locking funds up for six months to actually bet that proposition.

There does look to be some value in taking a small stab on Guenther to score 40 goals at a price of +700, and I’m fully sold that the 22-year-old has the tools to be a consistent 35-goal player in his career.

Utah’s power play ranked 10th in the league last season and should be comparably strong this year, and Guenther’s elite one-timer from the left flank is a key reason why. Not only does Guenther possess an excellent one-timer, he’s got one of the better releases in the game, and should get plenty of looks playing inside what should be a strong top six.

Guenther tallied 27 goals in 70 games last season, and should have a great chance of pushing well past that mark in his fourth NHL campaign.

Minnesota Wild

Stanley Cup Odds: +3500
To Win Conference Odds: +1600
To Win Division Odds: +750
To Make the Playoffs Odds: -160
Regular Season Point Total: 95.5

Key roster additions: Vladimir Tarasenko (RW), Nico Sturm (C), Brett Leason (RW)

Key roster subtractions: Marc-Andre Fleury (G) Gustav Nyquist (RW) Justin Brazeau (RW), Devin Shore (C)

Best Bet: To Finish Second in Division: +550 (bet365, Play to +525)

On December 1st, the Wild ranked first in the NHL with a record of 16-4-4 before finishing with only 96 points after playing to a record of 29-26-3 in their final 58 games. At the time Kirill Kaprizov was initially injured he was the Hart Trophy betting favorite, but ultimately played only 41 games, which was a major reason for the team’s shaky half.

I’m pretty high on the likelihood that the Wild will remain at least comparably good this year, and view them as a team with a high ceiling.

The Wild held the seventh best xGA/60 last season, and should be a safe bet to be a defensive juggernaut once again this season, especially with a high-quality goaltending tandem of Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt.

While Joel Eriksson Ek may not produce at an elite level relative to other top centers, he is an elite defensive player and should center a quality top unit alongside Kaprizov. Matt Boldy is already one of the best two-way wingers in the game, while Marco Rossi is a solid second-line center with legitimate upside.

Minnesota’s defensive core should be a strength once again, and could be quite dominant if Zeev Buium is able to transition to the NHL effectively.

The Wild could be flying a little under the radar, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see them get off to a great start once again this season. I’m not truly in love with any of their bets at the time of writing, but likely won’t be interested in fading them much out of the gate, and do believe at +550 there is some value in backing them to surprise and place second in the division.

St. Louis Blues

Stanley Cup Odds: +5000
To Win Conference Odds: +2500
To Win Division Odds: +1300
To Make the Playoffs Odds: -105
Regular Season Point Total: 92.5

Key roster additions: Nick Bjugstad (C), Logan Mailloux (D), Pius Suter (C), Milan Lucic (LW)

Key roster subtractions: Zack Bolduc (RW), Ryan Suter (D), Radek Faksa (C) Nick Leddy (D)

Best Bet: Pass

While the Blues’ 2024-25 season ended in heartbreaking fashion, it was certainly a step in the right direction for an organization that had been scuffling following their Stanley Cup championship. Acquiring Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg via offer sheet proved to be a massive success, and the team was among the best in the league after appointing Jim Montgomery as head coach.

The Blues went 25-14-4 in the second half of the season, and were a second away from knocking off the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Jets in Round 1. Their excellent second half doesn’t exactly scream fade candidate, and their forward corps could be even better with the additions of Pius Suter and a full season from Jimmy Snuggerud.

Their defensive core does look to be a spot of concern to me relative to the rest of what should be a highly competitive Central Division. I’m not entirely sold on a right side compiled of a 32-year-old Colton Parayko, Justin Faulk, and Logan Mailloux, and the overall unit rates out well below others in the division.

Still, I’m not low enough on the Blues to fade them with any bet specifically, and believe they are priced relatively fairly by oddsmakers.

Nashville Predators

Stanley Cup Odds: +10000
To Win Conference Odds: +5000
To Win Division Odds: +3300
To Make the Playoffs Odds: +240
Regular Season Point Total: 84.5

Key roster additions: Nick Perbix (D), Nicolas Hague (D), Erik Haula (C), Dylan Gambrell (C)

Key roster subtractions: Colton Sissons (C), Jeremy Lauzon (D), Marc Del Gaizo (D), Kieffer Bellows (LW), Jakub Vrana (LW)

Best Bet: To Finish 7th In Division: +225 (bet365, Play to +215)

We nailed our prediction that the Predators would not live up to the hype last season, with the main belief being that the additions of Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei were overrated based on their two-way regression and natural age curve.

Now, GM Barry Trotz team enters this season saddled in a very uncomfortable gray area, as the Predators have committed too much money to those aging stars to commit to a full rebuild, and likely will not finish low enough to have much hope of lucking into Gavin McKenna.

While the Predators would’ve came up short of their expectations even with more favorable luck, they did suffer from the league’s third lowest PDO since 2007-08, and likely will find some positive regression in that regard this season.

Still, Nashville’s offensive core could end up being quite a weakness once again this season. Filip Forsberg is the only top-six forward who is a lock to offer above average results in his respective role, and the depth of the offensive core could be quite concerning if youngsters such as Zachary L’Heureux and Luke Evangelista don’t take considerable steps forward.

Juuse Saros finished the 2024-25 season with a -7.4 GSAx rating and .895 save percentage across 58 appearances. A potential bounce-back season from their formerly elite netminder is one logical reason the Predators could hang around in the playoff chase, but outside of that, it’s hard to fancy the team’s hopes relative to the six teams projected ahead of them in the division.

While I do not believe the Predators are likely to outperform the previous six teams that we have discussed, they should have a great chance of outperforming the lowly Chicago Blackhawks, who remain fully committed to a rebuild. As a result, a price of +225 to bet the Predators to finish seventh in the division looks quite appealing.

Chicago Blackhawks

Stanley Cup Odds: +40000
To Win Conference Odds: +20000
To Win Division Odds: +25000
To Make the Playoffs Odds: +1600
Regular Season Point Total: 67.5

Key roster additions: Andre Burakovsky (LW), Sam Lafferty (C), Dominic Toninato (LW)

Key roster subtractions: Cole Guttman (RW), Joe Veleno (C), Pat Maroon (LW), Alec Martinez (C), Philipp Kurashev (C)

Best Bet: Connor Bedard 30+ Goals +130 (bet365, Play to +120)

The Blackhawks failed to take steps forward last season, finishing with 61 points and earning another high draft pick in the process. Their offensive core remains the worst in the league on paper, which is the main reason oddsmakers consider them the favorites to finish dead last this season.

Connor Bedard still does not have a true star forward to play alongside, as newcomer Andre Burakovsky projects to play alongside Bedard and Ryan Donato on the top line. The Blackhawks’ defensive core could potentially be quietly solid, depending on how effectively young talents such as Sam Rinzel, Artem Levshunov, and Alex Vlasic handle their respective roles. 

The first two seasons of Bedard’s career have been somewhat disappointing, but he has had next to no support up front, and we have seen comparable first overall selections struggle in their first two campaigns. 

Bedard was much more productive last season under Anders Sorensen, after the team relieved former head coach Luke Richardson of his duties, tallying 48 points and 18 goals in 56 games under Sorensen.

While Bedard has had a tough time finding opportunities to use his prodigious shooting abilities at the NHL level, it’s still hard for me to accept he can’t be a 30-goal player, even on a horrid Blackhawks side. It will be up to both the team and player to help Bedard get more scoring chances this season, but I’m happy to bet on him building on last season’s 23-goal output and hitting the 30-goal plateau at +130.