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National Hockey League Prediction 2024/25

NHL prediction 2023-24

Hockey is the most popular sport in a number of countries including Canada and Finland and maintains a passionate fanbase in the United States as well. It doesn't pull quite the same viewership as leagues such as the NFL and NBA but its popularity continues to grow year and year. A large part of the growth is down to the nature of the sport of hockey, which tends to be fast-paced and full of action. This can lead to some thrilling betting moments as there is nothing quite like the thrill of cashing a bet after your team scores in overtime to win the game.

The National Hockey League is made up of 32 total teams, 25 in the USA and seven in Canada. The league is separated into the Eastern Conference and Western Conference based on their geographic location, very similar to how the NBA groups its league. In these two conferences are four total divisions: the Atlantic, Metropolitan, Central and Pacific which each hold eight teams. The regular season spans 82 total games from the months of October to April with the playoffs then beginning in May. Teams generally play every 2-3 days although there are occasions when a team will play on consecutive nights. The NHL is generous in that 16 teams qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Eight teams from each conference get in, with the top three finishing teams in each division gaining automatic entry. The playoffs are three rounds, each being a best-of-seven series. The winners of each Conference Finals face off in the Stanley Cup Finals which is also a best-of-seven format.

The defending champions are the Florida Panthers who beat the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Finals. It went to a deciding game seven before the Eastern Conference champions lifted the cup for the first time in franchise history. It was a third win in five seasons for the state of Florida, with the Tampa Bay Lightning winning back-to-back cups in the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons. The Lightning were the beaten finalists in 2021/22 when they were trying to become the first to win three in a row since the New York Islanders in the early 1980s. The Panthers were the beaten finalists in the 2022/23 season so a Florida team has made five straight Stanley Cup Finals. Can either make it six this season?

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NHL Key Statistics

We've compiled some key statistics from the previous season to keep in mind when making your predictions for the upcoming NHL season. All of the following statistics are taken from the current recently completed 2023/24 season unless stated otherwise:

The average goals scored per team across the 32 NHL clubs was 3.15 last season.
There was an average of 6.3 goals scored per game in the 2023/24 NHL season.
This was an decrease from 6.32 average goals scored per game in the 2022/23 campaign.
Last year saw powerplay goals scored at a rate of 21%.
Power play opportunities in 2023/24 were at an average of 6.03 per game.
The Montreal Canadiens finished last season with the best against-the-spread puckline record at 53-29 (64.63%)
The New Jersey Devils had the worst against the spread puckline record last year at 31-51 (37.8%).

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NHL: Our Free Prediction for the 2024/25 Season

NHL betting advice 2023-24

The Florida Panthers went from beaten finalists in 2022/23 to Stanley Cup winners in 2023/24. The Edmonton Oilers will have been disappointed to have been vanquished in the Finals last year but they might be able to come back from that to claim the trophy this year. They certainly showed enough fight in those games, the Panthers held a 3-0 lead and looked to be cruising. Edmonton clawed the series back to 3-3 before being beaten in the deciding game.

The West looks the place to be looking for the potential champions this year. The other team that holds very strong claims are the Dallas Stars. They made it to the Western finals last year, losing to the Oilers. They were hugely impressive in beating the defending champion Vegas Golden Knights and also the Colorado Avalanche on their way to the West Finals, two hugely impressive teams. There are not many teams that have the depth in the squad that the Stars do and they have that without having a real standout star. They are simply rock-solid top to bottom and they play as a cohesive unit which makes them hugely dangerous.

That's why the Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars are our double-chance picks to win the 2024/25 Stanley Cup. Head over to our NHL betting odds page to see the latest bookmaker odds!

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