Opening Round 1 NHL Playoff Series Odds – Battle of Ontario & More

• NHL Round 1 playoff series odds have been released
• Many of the first-round matchups have been finalized, including the Battle of Ontario
• See the opening Round 1 NHL Playoff series odds and some initial predictions

It’s the best time of the year for hockey fans, as the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs are less than a week away. Many matchups are now finalized, which means sportsbooks have given us Round 1 NHL Playoff odds.

The opening moneyline, totals and puck lines have been released for Senators vs Maple Leafs, Lightning vs Panthers, Oilers vs Kings and more Round 1 matchups. It’s best to pounce on these lines early before the public jumps in and the value starts to disappear.

Here is a look at the Round 1 NHL Playoff odds and some initial thoughts/predictions

2025 NHL Playoffs Round 1 Series Odds

Based on the currently available Round one NHL Playoff Series odds, the Washington Capitals (-250) and Carolina Hurricanes (-245) are the heaviest favorites listed. The Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche series is projected to be the closest, opening as a pick’em (-110 for both).

Maple Leafs Favored in Battle of Ontario Odds

The Toronto Maple Leafs are betting favorites against the Ottawa Senators, but this “Battle of Ontario” could be tricky for Toronto. Ottawa swept the three-game season series, showing how to shut down Toronto’s offense by holding them to just three goals total in those contests.

Ottawa’s success came largely from smart line matching. Their checking line centered by Shane Pinto kept Auston Matthews quiet in two games, limiting him to one goal, while the top line of Tim Stutzle, Brady Tkachuk, and Claude Giroux often controlled the play against Toronto’s lines.

The Senators won the last meeting 4-2 in Toronto and carry momentum into the playoffs. A concern for Toronto is their five-on-five play, where they ranked near the bottom of the league in key puck possession stats (47.39 CF%) during the regular season.

Goaltending could be an edge for Ottawa, with Linus Ullmark arguably the top netminder in this matchup. Toronto relied on strong play from Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz, with the latter emerging as the frontrunner to start in the postseason.

Injuries are a bit of a concern for Toronto, especially on defense where Jake McCabe and Oliver Ekman-Larsson are hurt. Their absence would put major pressure on Toronto’s defensive depth against a Senators team that already proved they can beat them this season.

Panthers Favored Over Lightning in Sunshine State Rematch

In a familiar Sunshine State playoff rivalry, the Florida Panthers are slightly favored over the Tampa Bay Lightning for their fourth postseason meeting in the last five years.

Florida finally broke through against their rivals in the 2024 playoffs, defeating the Lightning four games to one in the first round en route to winning the Stanley Cup. Before that, Tampa Bay had won their previous two playoff encounters in 2021 and 2022.

Florida had the edge in the regular season series, winning ten of the last thirteen meetings overall and five of the last six in Tampa, including a recent 2-1 victory in March. This could point to more tight, low-scoring games, as the under has hit in three straight matchups.

Tampa Bay comes in with the league’s top offense and an impressive +75 goal differential. The goalie matchup features Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky against Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy, who is always a major factor, especially against the Panthers in the playoffs.

Florida is dealing with significant injuries heading into the postseason. Star forward Matthew Tkachuk is out, and several key players are hurt or questionable. Defenseman Aaron Ekblad is also suspended. Tampa Bay is healthier but will miss forwards Oliver Bjorkstrand and Luke Glendening.

Florida’s recent struggles and lengthy injury list are cause for concern against a high-scoring and relatively healthy Lightning team, despite the Panthers being the series favorites. I’m looking at Tampa Bay as potentially one of my Round 1 upset predictions.