The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs are kicking off on Saturday with Western Conference action. The Winnipeg Jets, who won the Presidents` Trophy, will host the St. Louis Blues, a team that surprisingly surged into the playoffs with a strong late-season run. The Blues impressively earned points in 14 of their last 16 regular-season games (13-2-1) to grab the final wild-card spot in the West.
In another Saturday game, the Dallas Stars will welcome the Colorado Avalanche. These Central Division rivals are familiar with each other, having clashed in the second round of the previous postseason where the Stars prevailed in six games.
Sunday will see the start of three more first-round series, with two additional series beginning on Monday. The Florida Panthers, current Stanley Cup champions, will begin their title defense on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. This is the second straight year these intrastate rivals will face off in the first round, with the Panthers winning in five games last year.
Another rematch in the West features the Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers. These Pacific Division teams will begin their series in Los Angeles on Monday, marking their fourth consecutive postseason first-round matchup. In the East, Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals will host the Montreal Canadiens for Game 1 of their series.
The remaining Western Conference series will see the Minnesota Wild visit the Vegas Golden Knights, starting Sunday in Las Vegas. Also on Sunday, the New Jersey Devils will travel to face the Carolina Hurricanes, and the Toronto Maple Leafs will host the Ottawa Senators in the `Battle of Ontario`.
Winnipeg and Vegas are considered strong favorites in their respective series, with the Jets holding odds around -210 and the Golden Knights at -235 or higher at most sportsbooks. Oddsmakers also predict three of the four Eastern Conference series to be one-sided, favoring Carolina, Washington, and Toronto. The Hurricanes are listed around -300 or higher at some sportsbooks, while the Capitals are around -275.
Here are some teams that could offer good value when considering bets on first-round series victories.
Best Bets
Dallas Stars (+140, Caesars)
While the Stars have struggled in past playoff matchups against the Avalanche, and their season series was close, Dallas boasts a strong goaltender in Jake Oettinger. Oettinger`s 36 wins ranked third in the NHL, potentially making him a Vezina Trophy finalist. Adding to their strength is former Avalanche player Mikko Rantanen, who has consistently reached the 30-goal mark. Despite a potential injury concern with Jason Robertson, the Stars still possess offensive firepower with players like Wyatt Johnston and Matt Duchene, along with Roope Hintz, Mason Marchment, and others capable of scoring against Avalanche goalie Mackenzie Blackwood.
Los Angeles Kings (+115, DraftKings)
Historically, the Kings have struggled against the Oilers in the playoffs, but this year they have home-ice advantage, where they excelled in the 2024-25 season, posting a 31-5-4 record at home. The Kings also have a strong advantage in net with Darcy Kuemper, a Stanley Cup winner with Colorado, who had impressive regular season stats. Despite Edmonton`s star power with McDavid and Draisaitl, this could be the year the Kings break their losing streak against their division rivals.
Tampa Bay Lightning (-102, FanDuel)
Despite Sergei Bobrovsky`s strong performance against Andrei Vasilevskiy in their last playoff meeting, it`s hard to overlook Tampa Bay`s offensive talent. The Lightning feature two 40-goal scorers in Brayden Point and Jake Guentzel, along with Nikita Kucherov, who led the league in scoring and has a history of playoff success. While the Panthers are the defending champions and may have Matthew Tkachuk back, his recent injury could hinder his effectiveness against the high-powered Lightning.
