Each week I like to break away from my regular role as host of The Puck Portfolio to provide hockey bettors with updated NHL betting trends, insights, and thoughts about what’s ahead. Make sure to tune into Wednesday’s show as I look ahead to Thursday’s opening odds live on Canada Sport Betting’s YouTube channel at 11:30 a.m. ET.
Updated NHL Betting Trends
Here’s your weekly dose of updated NHL betting trends for the 2023-24 regular season. The percentage is the win rate, while the implied odds represent the break-even percentage. Remember to use our sports betting odds calculator.
Where do the Maple Leafs currently rank among Canadian NHL teams?
Has the rest of Canada caught up, or have the Toronto Maple Leafs fallen off that much? Last season, Toronto would’ve been a big favourite at home versus the Winnipeg Jets. Almost one year ago today (Jan. 19th, 2023) the Maple Leafs hosted the Jets and closed at -175 on the moneyline, but they head into this Wednesday’s matchup as slight -116 favourites at NorthStar Bets. Other sportsbooks have Toronto listed at -125, but our model is more in line with the odds at NorthStar Bets. The Maple Leafs are 10-11 straight up at home this season and a $100 bettor would be done $462 had they bet on Toronto in every home game this season.
| Team | Away Money Won | Home Money Won | Total Money Won |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vancouver Canucks | $4.80 | $7.62 | $12.42 |
| Winnipeg Jets | $5.31 | $2.85 | $8.15 |
| Washington Capitals | $4.27 | $2.25 | $6.52 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | $8.73 | -$2.60 | $6.13 |
| St. Louis Blues | -$1.36 | $6.57 | $5.21 |
| Detroit Red Wings | $3.29 | $1.47 | $4.76 |
| Nashville Predators | $4.38 | -$0.99 | $3.40 |
| New York Rangers | $0.52 | $2.61 | $3.13 |
| Arizona Coyotes | -$3.44 | $6.50 | $3.07 |
| Colorado Avalanche | -$2.18 | $4.57 | $2.39 |
| Edmonton Oilers | -$0.40 | $2.13 | $1.73 |
| Boston Bruins | -$1.61 | $2.84 | $1.23 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | -$5.86 | $6.17 | $0.31 |
| Florida Panthers | -$0.05 | $0.27 | $0.23 |
| Montreal Canadiens | $1.93 | -$2.48 | -$0.55 |
| Dallas Stars | $0.73 | -$2.71 | -$1.98 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | -$6.40 | $4.22 | -$2.18 |
| Anaheim Ducks | $5.40 | -$8.19 | -$2.79 |
| Buffalo Sabres | $0.13 | -$3.53 | -$3.40 |
| New Jersey Devils | $3.84 | -$7.41 | -$3.56 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | -$4.75 | -$0.21 | -$4.97 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | -$2.79 | -$2.62 | -$5.41 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | -$1.03 | -$4.62 | -$5.65 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | -$11.00 | $5.07 | -$5.93 |
| Los Angeles Kings | $3.25 | -$9.26 | -$6.01 |
| New York Islanders | -$5.19 | -$0.84 | -$6.03 |
| Calgary Flames | -$5.93 | -$0.21 | -$6.15 |
| Minnesota Wild | -$3.54 | -$3.50 | -$7.04 |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | -$4.53 | -$2.78 | -$7.31 |
| San Jose Sharks | -$7.52 | $0.12 | -$7.40 |
| Seattle Kraken | -$3.92 | -$4.11 | -$8.03 |
| Ottawa Senators | -$6.48 | -$2.75 | -$9.23 |
Winnipeg’s better at 5-on-5, specifically on defence, and considering what the Jets did without Kyle Conner in the lineup, sportsbooks could be overestimating Toronto’s home-ice advantage. Then again, Mark Scheifele and Gabriel Vilardi, two of the Jets’ top forwards, are questionable to play. Connor is back in the Jets’ lineup, though.
The Maple Leafs have been scoring more goals than the Jets as of late, but the Jets’ scoring rates were just as good before Connor’s injury in early December. Toronto has improved their defensive numbers over the last month, but the Jets have been on a different level. Winnipeg had not allowed more than three goals once in its last 36 games before Monday’s 4-1 loss to the Boston Bruins.
The Maple Leafs might have the third-best chance of winning the Stanley Cup, based on the odds at sportsbooks, but they’re the fourth-best team in the country right now according to our power ratings after visiting Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver recently, but this upcoming home-and-home series against the Jets will provide some us with some more insight.
NHL to hit pause on regular season for All-Star weekend
Have you seen next week’s NHL schedule? Not only is the NHL hitting pause on the regular season for four days because of the All-Star festivities in Toronto, but as a result, there are just six games scheduled in the three days prior. That means teams will have anywhere between eight and 10 days off by the time they return to action, so expect some wackiness when that happens.
As far as the All-Star Game goes, team captains and celebrity captains will be drafting their 11-player teams during the NHL Player Draft, taking place in Toronto on Thursday, February 1st at 6 p.m. ET (Sportsnet, TVA Sports, ESPN2). The game itself will be played on Saturday, so expect sportsbooks to post odds for the event sometime on Friday.
Now, before you shake your head at the thought of betting on the All-Star Game, savvy hockey bettors have found a way to exploit these betting markets in the past and they will continue to do so in the future.
