2025 NHL Playoffs: Conference Finals Betting Guide

There’s not much better than the NHL playoffs and that continued with round two. The action is seemingly constant with plenty of physicality, gutsy performances, and unpredictable play that keeps fans’ eyes glued to the rink.

The games have so many ups and downs – from pucks hitting the net after a wicket slap shot to precision passing and sensational finishes to scrums in front of the goal with a puck just slipping in and crossing the red line.

The edges between some of these playoff teams are just so thin and fans are in store for some great matchups as the league reaches the halfway point in the playoffs when the Conference Finals drop the puck on Tuesday.

With the Stanley Cup Finals just one more series win away, here’s a quick look at what to expect when players take the ice.

Note: Odds were correct at the time of writing.

Matchups to Watch

The third round of the playoffs promises some great matchups with plenty of action. The Stanley Cup is so close, but getting there won’t be easy. Here’s a quick look at what to expect in the coming days..

• Dallas Stars vs. Edmonton Oilers – The Mikko Rantanen trade has paid big dividends for the Stars so far in the postseason. The former member of the Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes has been a Finnish phenomenon in the playoffs, leading the league with 19 points in the postseason (9 goals, 10 assists).

This marks the third-straight Western Conference Finals appearance for Dallas, with the Stars losing the last two years to Vegas (2023) and Edmonton (2024). The Stars bring a combination of physical play and skill, but have lacked that one player that can take over a game.

That changed with the addition of Rantanen, who has two hat tricks in the playoffs – one in game seven against Colorado and in game one against Winnipeg. But the Stars may need more scoring from others on the roster – particularly Jason Robertson, Matt Duchene, Wyatt Johnston, Jamie Benn, and Tyler Seguin to keep pace with a talented Oilers offense.

In goal, Jake Oettinger has been solid with a .247 goals against average and .919 save percentage. That included an unbelievable save in game six against the Jets.

YET ANOTHER SAVE OF THE POSTSEASON CANDIDATE BY JAKE OETTINGER @spittinchiclets

pic.twitter.com/uyKDDFHfcv

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) May 18, 2025

The Stars feature a big, bruising defense with Thomas Harley standing 6 feet, 3 inches, Lian Bichsel at 6-7, Esa Lindell at 6-3, and Codi Ceci at 6-2. Seeing Miro Heiskanen back from injury in the second round only added to that unit..

Getting a victory won’t be easy for Dallas. The Stars face two of the best players in the game in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who are third and fourth in playoff scoring. McDavid has 17 points with three goals and 14 assists.

Draisaitl and Corey Perry have been the Oilers’ top goal-scoring threats so far, each with five each. Draisaitl has chipped in another 11 assists as well. McDavid can also take over a game at any moment.

The team’s defense, led by top-line d-men like Brett Kulak and Evan Bouchard, have also been good. In six games against Vegas, the Knights averaged just 2.33 goals per game and were limited to just 24 shots per game, with two of those going to overtime.

In goal, Stuart Skinner has been a bit up and down, pitching two shutouts against the Knights while also giving up four goals his other two games, with a 3.05 goals against average and .884 save percentage. Skinner has been inconsistent despite helping Edmonton reach the Stanley Cup Finals last year.

The Oilers aren’t afraid to roll with the backup goalie and Calvin Pickard was solid in six wins so far in the postseason. But he is out with an injury, so it will be interesting to see how things develop in goal against the Stars.

These teams are very close. The Oilers won last season in six games and this could be a long series again.

• Carolina Hurricanes vs. Florida Panthers – These two teams are checking machines and that may an extremely physical battle. The Stanley Cup champions are looking to make it three straight years in the Stanley Cup Finals, but face a tough customer in the Hurricanes.

Florida looked to be on the ropes after going down two games against the Leafs, only to rally and advance after winning game seven in convincing fashion. Sergei Bobrovsky has been a big part of that success in goal, chalking up a 2.31 goals against average and .901 save percentage.

Brad Marchand and Eetu Luostarinen lead the Panthers in scoring with 12 points each, both with 3 assists and 9 goals. Sam Reinhart has added another 11 points as well (4 goals, 7 assists). That Florida defense is also extremely tough as the Leafs found out. Toronto averaged just 1.5 goals in the final four games of the series.

Carolina finished the regular season a single point ahead of the Panthers, good for second in the Metropolitan Division. The Canes have been dominating in five-game series wins against the Devils and Capitals, but now have a much bigger task ahead.

Look for the Hurricanes to bring a thunderous checking game and a goals against average of just 1.8. Frederik Andersen leads postseason goaltenders with a .937 save percentage.

On the offensive side, Seth Jarvis (4 goals, 6 assists) and Sebastian Aho (3 goals, 7 assists) lead the team in postseason scoring. Andrei Svechnikov has been a real weapon as well, cashing in for 8 goals.

These teams are also very close and there should be some real carnage when the hits start flying.

Stanley Cup Playoffs – Round 3 Odds

Ready to make those selections for this third round of playoffs? Here’s a look at the odds for each matchup, courtesy of FanDuel.

Western Conference

Matchup	Series Winner
Dallas Stars vs. Edmonton Oilers	Stars -102 Oilers -118

Eastern Conference

Matchup	Series Winner
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Florida Panthers	Hurricanes +104 Panthers -125

NHL Futures – Stanley Cup

Additionally, with four teams left in the playoffs, here’s a look at odds for the four remaining teams when making a Stanley Cup futures bet.

• Panthers +240
• Oilers +240
• Stars +270
• Hurricanes +310

Where to Watch

In the U.S., the Stanley Cup playoffs can be found on ESPN, TNT, and ABC. Fans can also stream the national games on ESPN+, Hulu, and Max.

In Canada, games will be shown on Sportsnet and TVA Sports(in French). The action also streams on the Sportsnet app, and the TVA app.

Picks for the People

After a 7-1 record in the first round, we went 2-2 in the second round, missing on the Oilers dispatching the Golden Knights and the Hurricanes dominating the Capitals. Both of those eliminations came in just five games.

We pegged Dallas and Florida winning in long series and the third round offers some tough series to handicap once again. Here’s a look at our picks in the conference finals.

• Dallas Stars vs. Edmonton Oilers – The edge is thin once again, but Jake Oettinger just seems dominating in goal. Adding Rantanen and the stout defense may be the answer to McDavid and Draisaitl, at least enough for the Stars to get across the finish line this year and reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since the COVID lockdown series in 2020. Look for a Stars win in six or seven games.
• Carolina Hurricanes vs. Florida Panthers – Fans of big hits will want to tune in to this one. The two teams also played in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2022-23, with the Panthers winning 4-0. Don’t look for that to happen again this season. The Hurricanes have been so close the last few years and this one should come down to seven games with the Panthers edging out a win and a third straight shot at hoisting the Cup.

Good luck with your own picks as the third round gets underway!