The Atlantic division has become a two-horse race this season in the NHL. The historic year for the Boston Bruins was the story of the NHL last season, as they had one of the best regular seasons in the history of hockey. They are one of two teams being given a chance to come out on top at this stage of the season. Here, we look at the NHL Atlantic Division odds, and what to expect from this division going forward.
Atlantic Division Betting Odds
Atlantic Division Favorites
The favorites to win the Atlantic Division this season are the Florida Panthers. The Panthers have trailed the Boston Bruins in this race for much of the year, but they have caught up to the Bruins in the standings and have been rewarded by oddsmakers. While there is still plenty of hockey to be played by both teams, the Panthers are the favorites for now.
As for Boston, the Bruins had a rough homestand in mid-February that put them in a position to relinquish their division lead. The Bruins could still very well come away with the Atlantic Division title. But they will need to be more consistent down the stretch and avoid falling behind against other quality teams if they want to earn the top seed in the Atlantic.
Atlantic Division Longshots
The gap is widening between the haves and have-nots in the Atlantic Division, creating some longer odds for the teams that are not in the top two in the division. The Tampa Bay Lightning, Detroit Red Wings, and Toronto Maple Leafs are all at longer odds to come away with this division title. But all three of those teams are in the top five in this division and could go on a hot streak to put themselves in the race for first place.
At the bottom of this division, there are three teams without much of a chance to win the Atlantic. Those teams are the Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, and Ottawa Senators, who have dug themselves too deep a hole to justify a selection of those squads as potential division winners.