NHL Eastern Conference Odds & Predictions 2025: Rangers Defense Unable to Break Out of Their Slump

• Carolina is listed as the betting favorite to win the Eastern Conference Championship

• The New York Rangers are five points back from Tampa Bay for the last wildcard spot

• The Rangers defense ranks 29th overall in Expected Goals Against in All Situations

As the regular season moves along, the New York Rangers odds to miss the playoffs continues to grow as they are currently five points back from the Tampa Bay Lightning in the wildcard standings for the last wildcard spot. Their lack of defensive production has played a major role in their struggles as the Rangers defense ranks 29th overall in Expected Goals Against in All Situations and 28th in 5-on-5 Play.

NHL Eastern Conference Championship Odds

Eastern Conference Championship Predictions and Favorites to Win 

After a mediocre stretch of play, the Florida Panthers have conceded the top spot on the oddsboard for the Eastern Conference Championship to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Carolina Hurricanes (+340) at Caesars

Even though a majority of the Carolina Hurricanes offensive production stems from just four players, that has not stopped the betting favorites for the Eastern Conference Championship from creating high quality scoring opportunities at a consistently high rate. A little over halfway into the season, the Hurricanes offense ranks second overall in Expected Goals For in All Situations with an average of 3.57 Expected Goals per game.

Better yet for Carolina, their back line has also started to give them the production they need to be one of the most well rounded units in the league as their defense currently ranks fourth overall in Expected Goals Against in All Situations. Their elevated level of play on defense has helped lessen the amount of variance in their contests, increasing their chances of making a run in the playoffs. Bet the Hurricanes to win the conference title now before their odds continue to crash down throughout the remainder of the season.

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Florida Panthers (+425) at Caesars

After going 5-4-1 in their last 10 contests, the Florida Panthers have seen their odds to win the Eastern Conference Championship decline while the Hurricanes have leaped over them for the top spot on the oddsboard. Their defense has steadily regressed during that span, dropping down to 13th overall in Expected Goals Against in All Situations. While their back line is still playing at competitive level, their recent regression brings in a higher amount of variance into their contests.

Fortunately for the reigning Stanley Cup champions, their front line has managed to keep them competitive in their contests as the Panthers offense ranks top-10 in Expected Goals For in All Situations and in 5-on-5 Play. Even with their high level of play on offense, the Panthers are in desperate need of their back line shaking out of their slump. Until their defense rounds back into form, then pass on the Panthers at their current odds to win the Eastern Conference Championship.

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New Jersey Devils (+550) at BetMGM

Speaking of excelling on offense, the New Jersey Devils front line have been in a tier of their own as they continue to lead the league in Expected Goals For in All Situations with an average of 3.68 Expected Goals per game. Their production on offense is spread throughout multiple lines as seven players currently average more than 0.25 Expected Goals per game. Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt have played a major role in their facilitation as the Devils duo have combined for over 80 assists this season.

On the other side of the ice, the Devils back line have also played at a high level this season as their defense ranks top-10 in Expected Goals Against in All Situations and in 5-on-5 Play. Their coverage has helped Jacob Markstrom remain in contention for the Vezina Trophy as the Devils starting goalie is averaging just 2.20 Goals Against per game and a .912 Save Percentage. With a high level of production at all three areas of the ice, the Devils are in a great position to make a deep run in the playoffs.

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Who Will Win the Eastern Conference Championship - My Pick 

New York Rangers (+2200) at Caesars

After winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 2023-2024, the New York Rangers have struggled to carry over their momentum into this season as they are currently 22 points behind the Washington Capitals for the most points in the league. Not only are they out of the running for the Presidents’ Trophy, but their odds to make the playoffs have also continued to decline as they are five points back from Tampa Bay in the wildcard standings for the last wildcard spot.

Their lack of defensive production has played a major role in their struggles this season as the Rangers defense ranks 29th in Expected Goals Against in All Situations with an average of 3.39 Expected Goals Against per game. Even with Igor Shesterkin back from injury, the star goalie has struggled to play at a competitive level as he is tasked with having to wall off a high amount of shots towards their net. Unless their back line drastically elevates their level of play, then expect the Rangers to miss the playoffs

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Who Won the NHL Eastern Conference Championship in 2023/2024?

The Florida Panthers won the Eastern Conference Championship in 2023-2024, claiming their third conference title.

NHL Eastern Conference History

While the Western Conference has seen plenty of parity, the Eastern Conference has been dominated by the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning as of late. Each club has won two straight conference championships over the past four years with the Florida Panthers winning the last two. Should the Panthers win the conference this season, then they would be the first club to three-peat since the New York Islanders did it in 1982-1984.

Past NHL Eastern Conference Winners

How to Choose the Best Sportsbook for Betting on the NHL Eastern Conference Championship

When looking to make a wager on the Eastern Conference Championship futures market, it’s vital to get as many sportsbooks as you can get. This allows you to line shop the futures market as odds can vary between each book. When betting on the New York Rangers to win the Eastern Conference Championship, they can be found as low as +1800 at BetMGM and as high as +2200 at Caesars. That is a difference of $400 in profit for a $100 bettor.

Another benefit of acquiring multiple sportsbooks is that you can collect multiple signup bonuses to help boost your bankroll ahead of the NHL season. BetMGM Sportsbook for example is giving new users up to $1,500 back in the form of bonus bets should you lose your first wager after creating an account with the WSN promo code WSNSPORTS.

How to Read NHL Eastern Conference Winner Odds

Before making any type of wager, it’s important to know how the listed odds work. Should you bet on the Rangers to win the Eastern Conference at their current odds of +2200, then a $100 wager would profit you $2,200 if they win the conference championship. If you wait to see if they make it to the Eastern Conference Finals and are listed with a minus sign in front of their number (ex: -130), then you would need to wager $130 to profit $100 if they win the conference title.