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- David Pastrnak’s Bruins are an even-odds (+100) favorite to capture the Atlantic Division
- The Toronto Maple Leafs (+250) are struggling on the defensive end early in the 2023-24 season
- Florida (+500) has shown no signs of a Stanley Cup hangover aside from a slow start from Matthew Tkachuk
An Atlantic team has appeared in five-straight Stanley Cup Finals and the division is stacked again this year with five clubs currently holding down playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.
Will the Bruins win their second-consecutive division title or will they be upended by the Maple Leafs or Panthers? Before we check the latest odds to win the Atlantic and make our picks, here’s where you can find the best Stanley Cup betting sites and the top betting sites for NHL hockey in 2023-24.
Atlantic Division Winner
| Team |  |  |  |
| Boston Bruins | +100 | +100 | +100 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | +250 | +250 | +250 |
| Florida Panthers | +500 | +500 | +500 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | +1100 | +1100 | +1100 |
| Detroit Red Wings | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Ottawa Senators | +3500 | +3500 | +3500 |
| Buffalo Sabres | +4000 | +4000 | +4000 |
| Montreal Canadiens | +25000 | +25000 | +25000 |
Boston keeps it rolling
Many experts picked Boston (+100) to miss the postseason following the retirements of their two center-ice franchise stalwarts, Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. However, Jim Montgomery’s club has rebounded nicely from a devastating first-round exit in last year’s playoffs. David Pastrnak has 13 goals and Charlie McAvoy is an anchor on defense, but the Bruins’ real secret sauce is their goaltending.
Jeremy Swayman is 8-1-2 with a 2.17 goals against average and a .930 save percentage. And his net mate, 2022-23 Vezina winner Linus Ullmark, is 7-3-1 with a 2.64 GAA and a .917 Sv%.
Jeremy Swayman is celebrating his 100th NHL game with his 11 career shutout. 👏#NHLStats: https://t.co/MSXwCWQssK pic.twitter.com/XgSU8bQs70
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) December 1, 2023
Leafs underperforming again?
Toronto (+250) is a respectable 12-6-3 and certainly has the talent to win its first division title since joining the Atlantic back in 2013. Auston Matthews is on pace for 57 goals and William Nylander is setting himself up for a huge free-agency payday with 12 goals and 16 assists in 21 games.
That said, there’s always something off with the Maple Leafs. This year, it’s an under-producing Mitch Marner and a weak defensive corps that’s allowing goals in bunches.
What about the Florida teams?
Florida (+500) was playing hockey into mid-June last year. Still, Paul Maurice’s club has shaken off any sign of a Stanley Cup hangover. The Panthers sit only couple points back of the Bruins and their top-two blueliners, Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour, are now back in action after missing most of the campaign with injuries.
Tampa Bay (+1100) has a mediocre 10-9-5 record. Nikita Kucherov is leading the NHL in scoring with 39 points and Conn Smythe winner Andrei Vasilevskiy is finally back in the net. But, Jon Cooper’s team will be hard-pressed to even make the postseason this year.
Brady Tkachuk and Matthew Tkachuk chirping each other 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/eFMttdSCpQ
— Alex Micheletti (@AlexMicheletti) November 28, 2023
Lucky Longshot
Detroit (+1400) ranks top-five in the NHL in goal scoring (81) and just added future Hall of Famer Patrick Kane to play on a line with off-season acquisition Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Larkin. With big Moritz Seider patrolling the blueline and strong secondary scoring with Lucas Raymond, the Red Wings (12-7-3) look headed for their first playoff berth since 2016.
Best Bet
Matthew Tkachuk only has 3 goals in 23 games after scoring 40 in 2022-23, along with 11 more in last year’s run to the Stanley Cup Finals. The super-pest’s numbers can only improve from here. Florida also has Selke Trophy winner, Alexander Barkov, at center ice.
Take the Panthers at +500 to claim their second Atlantic Division title in three years.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
