We’ve almost reached the end of the 2021 NHL regular season, with a handful of games remaining for West Division teams. This means that most of the playoff seeds are set ahead of the first round. For sports betting enthusiasts, the Stanley Cup playoffs often have a lot more to do with momentum than with regular-season results, as it is not uncommon at all to see top seeds spilled in the first round.
Let’s take a look at the updated NFL playoff picture and then consider some underdogs worth your money.
NHL News: 2021 Top Playoff Underdogs
First Round Pairings (best of seven series)
| Central Division |
|---|
| Carolina** (1) vs Nashville** (4) |
| Florida** (2) vs Tampa Bay** (3) |
| East Division |
|---|
| Pittsburgh** (1) vs N.Y. Islanders** (4) |
| Washington** (2) vs Boston** (3) |
| North Division |
|---|
| Toronto** (1) vs Montreal** (4) |
| Edmonton** (2) vs Winnipeg** (3) |
| West Division | |
|---|---|
| Vegas* (1) | 80 pts, 1 games left |
| Colorado* (2) | 78 pts, 2 games left |
| Minnesota* (3) | 75 pts, 2 games left |
| St. Louis** (4) | |
**-clinched playoff spot, seed locked
Toronto has a terrific young scoring duo in Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. Yes, it’s been 28 years since a Canadian team hoisted Lord Stanley’s Cup, when the Montreal Canadiens bested the Los Angeles Kings in 1992-93, but this is a group that could catch fire in the playoffs, particularly since the first two rounds this year stay in the same division. Rasmus Sandin is a player with an extremely high ceiling who could find confidence in a run to the semifinals and then torch some of the favorites. Morgan Rielly and John Tavares provide a steady hand in terms of leadership.
The New York Islanders are a defense-first team, and that can be an approach that works in the playoffs. They like to squelch the life out of the opposition, and that can lead to frustration — and mistakes. That is how the Islanders like to advance. They have led the league in fewest goals permitted for most of the season, and they have a solid goaltender in Semyon Varlamov, who is part of the Vezina Trophy conversation this year. Coach Barry Trotz has earned a reputation for getting the most out of his lineups, and players such as Anthony Beauvillier, Mathew Barzal and Ryan Pulock have had terrific seasons as a result. This is a team that believes in its system and hews to it, making them less likely to wilt under the postseason glare.
Edmonton also has a pair of transcendent scorers in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisatl. The knock on the Oil has been their problems on the back end. However, the blue line has improved this year, as Darnell Nurse and Adam Larsson have patrolled the defensive zone with skill and have also contributed with points. If these two-way players can get something going in the postseason, this is another team that could shock some of the favorites.
Nashville has a goalie in Juuse Saros who can put the team on his back and carry it. They open with a tough matchup, as they have an 0-5-1 season series with the Carolina Hurricanes. In those six games, they have scored just nine goals, and the Hurricanes have outplayed them in each matchup. The problem that Carolina presents is its relentless pressure. For Nashville, though, their commitment to a defense-first system is what helped them evade a late charge from Dallas in the standings, including a key 1-0 overtime win over the Stars that put a dagger in Dallas’ chances to snag fourth place in the Central. That system has pushed them all the way to the Cup Final in years past, and if they can upset Carolina, they could roll all the way this season.
NHL Betting Odds
Love betting on hockey like in the NHL games? | Xbet Sportsbook offers up to date NHL betting Odds for all Regular Season, Playoffs, and Stanley Cup games.
