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Picks, Predictions, and Best Bets to Make/Miss 2021 NHL Playoffs

Brady Trettenero

by Brady Trettenero in NHL Hockey

Updated Jan 8, 2021 · 6:42 AM PST

New York Rangers right wing Kaapo Kakko (24) celebrates at the bench after scoring a goal against the Edmonton Oilers during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019, at Madison Square Garden in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
  • You can bet on NHL teams making or missing the playoffs in 2021
  • The Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, and New York Rangers are among the teams with the best value
  • Read below for the odds and best betting picks

Oddsmakers have released make/miss playoff odds for all 31 NHL teams ahead of the upcoming 2021 season that begins on January 13th. Temporary divisional realignment means teams will only be playing teams within their new divisions this season.

The four top teams in the North, East, Central, and West divisions will qualify for the 16-team playoffs.

Here are three picks to consider for the coming season.

Minnesota Wild Playoff Odds

Odds to Make Playoffs Odds to Miss Playoffs
-106 -118

All odds taken Jan. 8 at DraftKings

Wild Will Secure Fourth Spot in Top-Heavy West

The Minnesota Wild are viewed as a fringe playoff team by oddsmakers after finishing 10th in the Western Conference last season with 77 points in 69 games. The Wild finished the regular season on an impressive 8-2-0 run but were bounced by the Canucks in four games in the qualifying round of the Return-To-Play.

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The Wild are one of several teams that should benefit from the divisional realignment for the 2021 season. The West Division has three powerhouses in Colorado, Vegas, and St. Louis, but the Wild are set up nicely to claim that fourth and final playoff spot.

LA and Anaheim are both in rebuilding phases, while the offensively challenged Coyotes lost Taylor Hall. San Jose returns with struggling starting goalie Martin Jones and lost veteran playmaker Joe Thornton. The Wild return their lethal top-four defense core and have added Cam Talbot to help fix their goalie issues.

The Wild have a huge x-factor this season in 23-year-old prospect Kapril Kaprizov, who should make a bid for the Calder Trophy. He’s finally come over from Russia and will look to become the next KHL standout to make a big impact in North America. Minnesota already had one of the NHL’s best power plays last season, and now they’ll have Kaprizov and rising star Kevin Fiala playing together. Minnesota is the most balanced “bubble” team in the West Division and are a good bet to make the postseason.

Best Bet: Minnesota Wild To Make Playoffs (-106)

Nashville Predators Playoff Odds

Odds to Make Playoffs Odds to Miss Playoffs
-125 +100

Preds Will Fall Just Short Once Again

The Nashville Predators are in serious jeopardy of missing the playoffs for a second consecutive season after an underwhelming  offseason that saw them lose some valuable pieces. Gone are forwards Craig Smith, Kyle Turris, Nick Bonino, and Austin Watson. They do bring in Luke Kunin and Erik Haula, but each player they lost had some key intangibles.

The Predators had one of the best third lines in the entire league last season, but they’ve lost two-thirds of that unit with the Bonino and Smith departures. The Predators have long been known for having a lack of elite game-breaking talent at the forward position. Moreover, defenseman Roman Josi was the team’s leading scorer last season, as no forward even reached the 50-point mark.

The Predators unquestionably still have one of the best bluelines in the game, but I’m not sold on their goaltending. Pekka Rinne is coming off a disastrous year and approaching his 40’s while, Juuse Saros underwhelmed in the Return-to-Play against Arizona. Betting on Nashville making the playoffs means betting on way too many players who have been trending down to have big bounce-back years.

In the Central division, Tampa Bay, Carolina, and Dallas are likely to occupy the top three spots. The final spot could come down to Columbus and Nashville. I’ll take the Blue Jackets’ promising young goalie tandem and John Tortorella’s ability to get the most out of his group over a Nashville team that hasn’t looked impressive under new coach John Hynes.

Best Bet: Nashville Predators To Miss Playoffs (+100)

New York Rangers Playoff Odds

Odds to Make Playoffs Odds to Miss Playoffs
+130 -167

Young Rangers Will Make Noise In Loaded East 

Oddsmakers are notably down on the Rangers after the team got swept by the Hurricanes in the Return-to-Play and landed in a stacked East Division for the 2021 season. Despite a poor showing in the postseason, the Rangers went through a 9-1-0 stretch towards the end of the regular season in which they looked like one of the best teams in the league.

There’s lots of reason for optimism when you look at offense and goaltending. The Rangers had the fourth-highest scoring offense in the Eastern Conference last season and are now adding a franchise player into the equation. Not to mention, goalie Igor Shesterkin has gone 10-2-2 with a .932 save percentage in his first 12 starts with the Rangers. New York’s blueline is their weakness, but Shesterkin is the type of goalie that can make up for those issues.

When looking at the East Division teams who are favored in the NHL playoff odds, there are reasons to be pessimistic. The Capitals lost their starting goalie, the Bruins lost two of their best blueliners, and the Penguins are pretty much the same team that got upset in the qualifying round of the playoffs.

There’s a bright future in New York, and it’s just a matter of when it all comes together. That being said, the Rangers might not win the division in Lafreniere’s first year, but there’s value betting them to sneak into the postseason.

Best Bet: New York Rangers To Make Playoffs (+130)

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