2026-27 NHL Divisional Betting Preview: Winner Odds, Predictions, & Best Bets

Atlantic Division Odds, Prediction, and Betting Pick

The Florida Panthers (+150) are my pick to win the Atlantic Division, and there is a strong case that last season’s seventh-place finish was more of an injury-driven outlier than a reflection of where this roster stands.

Florida went 40-38-4 and missed the playoffs last season, but that came after winning the Stanley Cup in both 2024 and 2025. In fact, the Panthers entered last season trying to become the first team since the 1980 New York Islanders to win three consecutive Stanley Cups before injuries derailed that pursuit.

The biggest offseason addition was Brady Tkachuk, acquired from Ottawa in a blockbuster trade. Tkachuk had 22 goals and 59 points in only 60 games last season, averaging nearly a point per game, while recording 162 hits. Over his eight-year career, he has scored at least 20 goals in seven seasons and has three 30-goal campaigns.

Brady from Matthew and Barky 🤯 pic.twitter.com/DccgZ9BZhR

— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) September 20, 2026

That addition gives Florida an unusual amount of high-danger scoring ability. Since NHL player tracking began in 2021-22, Brady ranks third in the NHL with 639 high-danger shots on goal, while Sam Reinhart ranks seventh and Matthew Tkachuk is tied for 15th. Brady also ranked third in the NHL in offensive-zone time percentage at 48.6% last season.

And then there is the possibility of getting Aleksander Barkov back for most of the season. He missed the entire last season, and Florida went from back-to-back champions to missing the playoffs.

Before that injury, he had 71 points in 67 games, including 20 goals and 51 assists in 2024-25. He also finished the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs with 17 points in 17 games as Florida won its second straight championship.

The depth on the forward lines is going to be tough to beat in the Atlantic, with Brady Tkachuk-Barkov-Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe-Sam Bennett-Matthew Tkachuk. Reinhart scored 29 goals and 61 points last season, while Bennett had 25 goals and 51 points in 2024-25.

Losing Sergei Bobrovsky between the pipes hurts, but I’m confident that Jacob Markstrom will have a strong season with a much better defense in front of him. Barkov’s current injury is the obvious concern, but it is important to recognize that this isn’t the season-ending injury that cost him all of last year.

With Barkov expected back, Brady Tkachuk joining an already championship-caliber core, and Florida bringing back the experience of two consecutive Stanley Cup runs, they should capture the Atlantic Division title.

Central Division Odds, Prediction, and Betting Pick

The Colorado Avalanche (+110) are my selection for NHL divisional betting picks in the Central Division. The odds make sense given how dominant this roster remains and how much of the core is still intact.

Colorado went 55-16-11 for 121 points, setting a franchise record and winning both the Central Division and Presidents’ Trophy. The Avalanche also led the NHL in wins, goals (298), goals against (197), and penalty-kill percentage (84.6%) before advancing to the Western Conference Final.

Nathan MacKinnon just recorded one of the best seasons of his career, leading the NHL with 53 goals while finishing with 127 points (53 goals, 74 assists) in 80 games. He also recorded an NHL-best 97 even-strength points, the most in a season since Wayne Gretzky had 103 in 1990-91.

Nathan MacKinnon gets his first goal of the season 🔥

(via @tntsports) pic.twitter.com/8ZNxYPsWCm

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) October 1, 2026

Then there is Cale Makar, who remains arguably the most dynamic defenseman in hockey. Makar finished 2025-26 with 20 goals and 79 points in 75 games, while Martin Necas added 38 goals and 100 points. Colorado also had Brock Nelson produce 65 points, and 11 players reached at least 30 points, demonstrating that the Avs have solid depth.

The franchise also made some useful offseason additions to improve its depth. Jaden Schwartz joined the team after recording 26 points in 50 games with Seattle, while Fedor Svechkov and Zachary L’Heureux were acquired from Nashville.

Svechkov posted a career-high 17 points in 70 games last season, while L’Heureux produced 28 points in only 30 AHL games. The Avalanche also added former Bruins prospect Fabian Lysell, who had 42 points in 57 AHL games last season.

The Avalanche’s defense and goaltending tandem is in good shape for the 2026-27 season. They allowed just 197 goals, the fewest in the NHL, while Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood shared the William M. Jennings Trophy. Wedgewood posted a league-best 2.02 GAA and .921 save percentage among qualified goaltenders.

Colorado won the 2022 Stanley Cup, going 16-4 in the playoffs, and has now made the playoffs in nine consecutive seasons. Jared Bednar has been behind the bench throughout that run and owns a 55-16-11 record from last season alone.

Colorado doesn’t offer the same long-shot upside as some of the other teams in the division. However, the Avalanche are coming off a 121-point season and return a core capable of producing elite offense while playing at the top of the league defensively. That’s enough for me to take Colorado to win their division at +110.

Metropolitan Division Odds, Prediction, and Betting Pick

The Carolina Hurricanes are the favorites at +145, but Washington has made a major effort to upgrade its forward group after finishing 43-30-9 with 95 points last season and missing the playoffs by three points.

Two seasons ago, the Capitals finished first in the Eastern Conference with 111 points, so there is plenty of evidence that this roster can compete near the top of the division.

The biggest reason to like Washington is the forward depth added during the offseason. The Capitals acquired Alex Tuch, Jordan Kyrou and Boone Jenner, giving them three legitimate NHL-caliber additions to their top nine.

Tuch is coming off a 33-goal, 66-point season with Buffalo and has three 30-goal seasons on his résumé. Kyrou is also a three-time 30-goal scorer who had 70 points and 36 goals in 2024-25.

Washington is banking on him bouncing back after scoring 18 goals and 46 points last season. Jenner adds another physical, two-way center who can play throughout the lineup.

TUCH HAS TWO… WHAT A START FOR THE NEW LOOK CAPITALS 🚨 pic.twitter.com/OBraOqvOeL

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 2, 2026

That gives Washington a much deeper group around Alex Ovechkin, Dylan Strome, Tom Wilson, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Aliaksei Protas and Ryan Leonard.

Strome remains particularly important after recording 58 points and 19 goals last season, following an 82-point campaign in 2024-25. Ovechkin also continues to defy expectations. At age 40 last season, he led Washington with 32 goals and 64 points, becoming the first player in NHL history to lead or co-lead his team in goals in all 21 of his seasons.

The additions also address a major problem from last season. Washington went from scoring 3.49 goals per game in 2024-25, second in the NHL, to 3.18 last season, which ranked 15th in the NHL. Adding two proven 30-goal scorers in Tuch and Kyrou should give the Capitals considerably more scoring depth and prevent teams from simply focusing on Ovechkin’s line.

Washington also added Vincent Desharnais to the defense and brought back Timothy Liljegren, while young defenseman Cole Hutson is expected to take on a larger role. Goaltender Logan Thompson returns after helping provide stability in net.

The defense does have questions with Rasmus Sandin recovering from ACL surgery, but the overall roster is considerably deeper than the one that missed the playoffs last year.

And, of course, there is the motivation of having Ovechkin back for his 22nd NHL season. He is the Capitals’ all-time leader and captained Washington to its first Stanley Cup championship in 2018. With the organization aggressively adding around him, Washington has made it clear that this is intended to be another legitimate Cup-contending season.

At +240, I like the Capitals to outperform their preseason price. Washington is my pick to win the Metropolitan Division.

Pacific Division Odds, Prediction, and Betting Pick

The Edmonton Oilers are coming off another deep playoff run and have remained one of the NHL’s most dangerous offensive teams. Connor McDavid continues to set the standard, while Leon Draisaitl gives Edmonton another superstar capable of carrying an offense.

Draisaitl scored 52 goals and 97 points in 69 games last season, while McDavid finished with 35 goals and 106 points in 79 games. Having two players capable of producing at more than a point-per-game pace makes Edmonton extremely difficult to match over an 82-game schedule.

Edmonton also has Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Evan Bouchard providing important secondary production. Bouchard is particularly valuable from the blue line, posting 15 goals and 58 points last season while quarterbacking one of the NHL’s most dangerous power plays.

FIRST CONNOR MCDAVID GOAL OF THE SEASON AND IT WAS GROSS 🤢 pic.twitter.com/5Zn0XN3XOy

— NHL (@NHL) October 2, 2026

The Oilers also have plenty of motivation after coming up short in the Stanley Cup Final in recent years. They reached the Final in 2024 and 2025, losing the Stanley Cup to Florida twice.

That playoff experience should be valuable, particularly when compared with some of the younger teams emerging in the Pacific.

Vegas is the biggest threat at +175, but I don’t love the Golden Knights at the same price after their offseason changes. Vegas lost Jack Eichel’s longtime running mate Jonathan Marchessault in recent years and has continued to see important pieces move on.

The Golden Knights remain talented, but their roster doesn’t look quite as deep or dangerous as last season. At identical +175 odds, I’d rather bet on Edmonton’s established superstar core.

The San Jose Sharks (+650) are an interesting team to watch, particularly after the continued development of Macklin Celebrini, but I think they are still a year or two away from being a serious division favorite.

Celebrini had an outstanding rookie season, while players such as Will Smith and William Eklund give San Jose plenty for Sharks fans to be excited about, but expecting that young core to immediately win the Pacific is asking a lot.

The Oilers have much less uncertainty. They have the best player in hockey, another elite center in Draisaitl, proven playoff experience and a roster built to compete for the Stanley Cup. At +175, Edmonton is my 2026-27 Pacific Division pick.