Welcome to USA Best Bet NHL 2023-24 season. Get ready for the season opening, as the puck is ready to drop on the 2023-24 NHL season. It kicks off with a thrilling triple header on ESPN tonight. The NHL season opener is packed with excitement, featuring the Tampa Bay Lightning’s quest for their fourth Stanley Cup in the last five seasons, the emergence of rookie sensation Connor Bedard facing off against his childhood idol Sidney Crosby, and the defending champions, the Vegas Golden Knights. We’re here to provide NHL predictions for all these games, and you can rely on us for insights throughout the season. But before we dive into tonight’s matchups, let’s explore our top Stanley Cup predictions while the preseason odds are still up for grabs.

NHL Stanley Cup Final 2023-24 Odds and Lines

First, let’s take a look at the latest NHL odds from KasinoBets.com Sportsbook:

  • Carolina Hurricanes: +800
  • New Jersey Devils: +900
  • Toronto Maple Leafs: +900
  • Colorado Avalanche: +1000
  • Edmonton Oilers: +1000
  • Vegas Golden Knights: +1200
  • New York Rangers: +1300
  • Dallas Stars: +1400
  • Boston Bruins: +1600
  • Florida Panthers: +1600
  • Tampa Bay Lightning: +2000
  • Los Angeles Kings: +2200
  • Pittsburgh Penguins: +2800
  • Minnesota Wild: +3000
  • Calgary Flames: +3000

Our experts initially made their predictions right after the 2023 Stanley Cup Final, favoring the New Jersey Devils at +1300 odds. Given the shift in odds, we weren’t alone in that choice. But fear not, as we now have another Stanley Cup best bet, taking into account the developments during the offseason.

2023-24 NHL Stanley Cup Top Pick: Edmonton Oilers (+1000)

The Edmonton Oilers are not only on our radar but also on the radar of many when it comes to NHL Stanley Cup predictions. The enticing factor here is the opportunity to back them at plus-money odds with four digits, a prospect that we’re excited to embrace. Much like Connor McDavid once did, Connor Bedard, whom we mentioned earlier, has garnered enormous attention.

When the Oilers drafted McDavid, fans had high hopes for multiple Stanley Cup wins by now. Surprisingly, they haven’t achieved it yet, but it’s by no means McDavid’s fault. McDavid boasts an impressive list of accolades and achievements, including a 150-point campaign last season, a feat that hadn’t been seen since 1996-97.

Adding to the appeal is the presence of Leon Draisaitl, who tallied the second-highest point total last season at 128. Together, these two players generate as much offense as some entire teams. Scoring goals has never been their issue. The key question revolves around their goaltending for this season.

Fans have every reason to be optimistic on that front. In what was essentially Stuart Skinner’s rookie season, he propelled the Oilers within two games of the Stanley Cup Final. While they ultimately fell to the champion Golden Knights, Skinner allowed just one goal in the Oilers’ two victories. If he maintains this momentum into the new season, McDavid and Draisaitl can take care of the rest.

2023-24 NHL Stanley Cup Dark Horse: Pittsburgh Penguins (+2800)

Our previous mention of Connor Bedard also highlighted that he’s up against his childhood hero, Sidney Crosby. Last year marked the first time the Pittsburgh Penguins missed the playoffs in Crosby’s illustrious 18-year career. You can be certain that he and the Penguins are hungrier than ever.

This hunger extends to the core of players who’ve stood beside Crosby for years—Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. These key players are back, and Pittsburgh made what could be considered the most significant acquisition of the entire offseason: defenseman Erik Karlsson, a three-time Norris Trophy recipient for the NHL’s best defenseman.

The combination of Karlsson and Letang in front of goaltender Tristan Jarry should instill confidence. Add the physicality of Ryan Graves throughout the season and the offensive prowess of Jake Guentzel, along with the contributions of role players Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell, who amassed over 100 points last season, and you’ve got a Pittsburgh Penguins team that appears to be one of the hungriest in the league. That’s precisely why they’re our top Stanley Cup long shot.

Discover our NHL division winner best bets for every division, including an under-the-radar selection at +650!

The commencement of the 2023-24 NHL season is marked by three thrilling games, each featuring teams from all four divisions. What better time to offer our predictions for division winners? The past three Stanley Cups have seen different divisions triumph, and within the last six Cup champions, all four divisions have been represented. This suggests that our division winner predictions might very well correlate with this year’s ultimate champion. So, without further ado, let’s delve into our picks. Be sure to also check out our NHL predictions for tonight’s games and the entire season.

Atlantic Division Winner: Toronto Maple Leafs (+175)

We kick off in the Eastern Conference, specifically the Atlantic Division. It’s a crucial year for the Tampa Bay Lightning, with their dynasty at stake. While they’ve reached three of the last four Stanley Cup Finals, the absence of arguably the world’s best goaltender, Andrei Vasilevskiy, at the season’s start is a significant factor. This uncertainty leads us to believe that they won’t clinch the division or the Cup.

The Boston Bruins are coming off a historic season but have lost Captain Patrice Bergeron to retirement. Thus, our focus shifts to the Toronto Maple Leafs. With the second-shortest odds to win it all, the Maple Leafs feature an intact core, led by Auston Matthews. They have been expected to make deeper playoff runs, and last season they achieved their first postseason series win since 2004. With fresh faces in the front office, this might be the year they make a run to at least the Eastern Conference Finals.

Metropolitan Division Winner: New Jersey Devils (+240)

While the Carolina Hurricanes are favored to win the Metropolitan Division, we have our eyes on last season’s surprise team, the New Jersey Devils. They pulled off one of the most impressive year-to-year turnarounds in NHL history and came within a single point of meeting the Hurricanes in the Conference Finals.

The Hurricanes are undoubtedly a strong team, but they lean too heavily on defense. In contrast, the Devils have a more balanced approach. Led by 21-year-old Jack Hughes, who recorded 99 points last season, they have a potent offense. With Jack’s younger brother, Luke, bolstering the defensive end alongside Dougie Hamilton, we anticipate the Devils outperforming the Hurricanes.

Central Division Winner: Minnesota Wild (+650)

In the Central Division, we present a bit of a longshot division winner prediction that remains realistic. The Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche are the expected contenders.

The Stars need to generate more offense for balance, while the Avalanche face another season without Gabriel Landeskog due to a career-threatening knee injury. They struggled at the beginning of last season, only securing the Central Division title in the final week.

On the other hand, the Minnesota Wild boast the extraordinary talent of Kirill Kaprizov. Although he missed time due to injury last season, when healthy, he’s a star player. Paired with their explosive offense, the Wild found a reliable goaltender in Filip Gustavsson, who had the second-highest save percentage among regular starting goalies, just behind Vezina Trophy-winner Linus Ullmark.

Pacific Division Winner: Edmonton Oilers (+165)

To conclude, we present a favorite in the Pacific Division, and for good reason. The oddsmakers favor the Edmonton Oilers over the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Vegas Golden Knights, which speaks volumes.

The Oilers possess a dynamic duo in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who finished as the top two point-scorers last season. Additionally, Evander Kane is back after missing substantial time due to a gruesome injury. Although they needed to resolve their goaltending situation, Stuart Skinner, with his promising rookie season, appears to be the answer. In the Oilers’ two playoff wins against the Knights, Skinner allowed just one goal. We anticipate the Oilers rising to the challenge, and perhaps they’ll be in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.

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