Stanley Cup Odds, Predictions, Betting Picks 2025: Dallas Stars Defense Rounding Back Into Form

• Edmonton and Carolina are the current betting favorites to win the Stanley Cup

• The Edmonton Oilers are in fifth place in the Pacific division standings

• The Dallas Stars defense is 11th overall in Expected Goals Against in All Situations

After a slow start to the season, the Dallas Stars defense have started to consistently play at a competitive level and now rank in the top half of the board in Expected Goals Against in All Situations. A much needed level of play to help limit the amount of variance in their contests, especially while their offense continues to excel as they average 3.29 Expected Goals per game. With productive play on both sides of the ice, the Stars are equipped to make another deep run in the playoffs.

As for who beat the Stars in the Western Conference Finals last year, the Edmonton Oilers are still on top of the oddsboard even though they are currently not in the playoff picture. At 13-10-2, the Oilers are currently in fifth place in the Pacific division standings and not in possession of one of the wildcard spots. Fortunately for Edmonton, positive regression does loom large as they are one of the few teams in the league who rank top-10 in both Expected Goals For and Expected Goals Against in All Situations.

NHL 2025 Stanley Cup Championship Winner Odds

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.

Stanley Cup 2025 Predictions and Favorites to Win

Carolina Hurricanes (+1000) at FanDuel

While the Edmonton Oilers hog most of the spotlight as the betting favorite to win the Stanley Cup, the Carolina Hurricanes are also on top of the oddsboard in some sportsbooks. Their offense has played a major role in their success this season as their front line continues to lead the league in Expected Goals For in All Situations with an average of 3.83 Expected Goals per game.

The Hurricanes defense has also continued to improve after a slow start to the year as their back end has crept up into the top half of the board in Expected Goals Against in All Situations and in 5-on-5 Play. With more stout coverage in front of their net, Pyotr Kochetkov is in a better position to maintain his competitive mark in average Goals Against as their starting goalie is averaging 2.55 Goals Against per game. Should their defense maintain their current level of play, then expect Carolina to make a deep run in the playoffs.

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Edmonton Oilers (+1100) at Caesars

Just when it seemed like the Edmonton Oilers were starting to get into a groove, their offense suffered a major loss when Zach Hyman went down with an injury. Hyman was one of the Oilers most consistent sources of offensive production before going down with an injury as he ranked near the top of the board in both Expected Goals and Shots on Goal per game. With Hyman out, Hart Memorial Trophy contender Connor McDavid will have to shoulder a heavier workload to help keep the Oilers offense afloat.

With regression looming large over the Oilers offense, it will be up to their defense to help keep Edmonton competitive during Hyman’s absence. Luckily for Edmonton, their back line has excelled in coverage this season as the Oilers defense currently ranks third overall in Expected Goals Against in All Situations with an average of 2.75 Expected Goals Against per game. Should the Oilers odds to win the Stanley Cup dip during Hyman’s absence, then prepare to make a mid season wager to pair with our Stars positions.

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New York Rangers (+1500) at Caesars

After bringing back a majority of their roster that led them to a deep run in the playoffs last season, the New York Rangers continuity has yet to yield productive results as their defense continues to regress. Generating defensive production has been a struggle for the Rangers this season as their back line currently ranks 29th overall in Expected Goals Against in All Situations.

The Rangers lack of coverage has also started to affect Vezina Trophy contender Igor Shesterkin as opposing offenses are starting to score on their star goalie at an alarming rate. As of writing, Shesterkin is averaging an astonishing 3.05 Goals Against per game while generating a Save Percentage of .908. With a lack of defensive production, the Rangers will continue to play in high variance contests which hurts their chances of winning. Until their back line drastically improves, pass on the Rangers to win the Stanley Cup.

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Who Will Win the Stanley Cup in 2024-2025? 

My Pick - Dallas Stars (+900) at FanDuel

Speaking of defensive production, the Dallas Stars back line have steadily improved since a slow start to the season as their defense now ranks 11th overall in Expected Goals Against in All Situations with an average of 2.95 Expected Goals Against per game. Their improved level of play has helped Jake Oettinger maintain his high marks in net as the Stars goalie is averaging just 2.42 Goals Against per game while generating a .912 Save Percentage.

Their improved level of play on the back end has also helped limit the amount of variance in their contests which increases their chances of securing the win. Especially while their offense continues to play at a very high level as the Stars front line currently ranks top-10 in Expected Goals For in All Situations and in 5-on-5 Play. Should the Stars continue to excel at all three levels of the ice, then expect Dallas to make a deep run in the playoffs and compete for the Stanley Cup championship.

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Stanley Cup Winner History 

For the first time since their inception into the league, the Florida Panthers are Stanley Cup champions. Well deserved after being listed as the favorite to win the championship for a majority of the year, playing as one of the best units on both sides of the ice. They enter the 2025 season as one of the favorites once again, only being thwarted by the Edmonton Oilers for the top spot on the oddsboard. 

Repeating as a champion won’t be easy as there is seemingly more parity than ever before as eight teams are very close together in their listed odds to win the Stanley Cup. Should the Panthers manage to pull it off and win it all again in 2025, then they would be the first team to repeat as champions since the Tampa Bay Lightning did it back in 2020-2021.

Stanley Cup Winners

How to Read Stanley Cup Winner Odds 

When looking to make any type of wager, it’s key to know how the listed odds work before placing it. While no one has a minus sign in front of them as of writing, (-130 for example), you may see that later on should someone pull ahead as the universal favorite. At -130 odds, that means you would need to wager $130 to profit $100. With the Dallas Stars currently at +900, that means a $100 wager would profit you $900 if they win the Stanley Cup.

How to Choose the Best Sportsbook for Betting on the Stanley Cup

It’s vital to have as many sportsbooks as you can get in order to line shop. The goal of betting on the Stanley Cup winner is to get the biggest pieces as hedges while having multiple profiting scenarios. Starting with the Dallas Stars, you can find them as low as +875 at Caesars while their highest listed odds are +900 at FanDuel. That is a difference of $25 in profit for a $100 bettor should the Stars win the Stanley Cup. 

Each sportsbook also has their own unique new user promotions, giving their users a major head start with bonus bets during the 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.

*Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Add’l terms.