Hockey Handicapping Articles

2025-26 Dallas Stars Predictions and Odds to Win Stanley Cup Finals
by Ryan Cobbett - 9/24/2025

Last season ended in disappointment once again for Dallas Stars fans. After a thrilling opening round against Colorado, Dallas stormed through Winnipeg as they won the series in six games. Unfortunately, Dallas would once again fail to reach the Stanley Cup Final as their season was brought to an end by Edmonton, who won the series in five games. Despite the disappointing end, the Stars finished second in the Central Division with 106 points and their +53-goal differential was the third best in the Western Conference.

2025-26 Detroit Red Wings Predictions and Odds to Win Stanley Cup Finals
by Ryan Cobbett - 9/24/2025

The Detroit Red Wings once again failed to reach the postseason after finishing the season with just 86 points. They finished five points behind Montreal who claimed the final wild card spot. Their -21-goal differential was the worst amongst teams to reach the 85-point mark. They did well on home ice, but their road performance really held them back last year.

2025-26 Columbus Blue Jackets Predictions and Odds to Win Stanley Cup Finals
by Ryan Cobbett - 9/24/2025

The Columbus Blue Jackets turned in a surprise season last year where they managed to find their way into the playoff conversation. They finished the year with 89 points and were the first team out in the Eastern Conference. They dominated on home ice, going 26-10-5 and their +5-goal differential was the best amongst nonplayoff teams. The Blue Jackets finished fourth in the Metro Division trailing the New Jersey Devils by just two points.

2025-26 Florida Panthers Predictions and Odds to Win Stanley Cup Finals
by Ryan Cobbett - 9/24/2025

The Florida Panthers finished the season with 98 points, one ahead of Ottawa for the final guaranteed spot in the Atlantic Division. After narrowly securing this guaranteed spot, the Panthers dominated Tampa Bay in the first round. They eliminated the Lightning in five games while boasting a +7-goal differential. After that, they took down Toronto in seven games and then made quick work of Carolina in the conference finals. Florida won the Stanley Cup Finals in six games over Edmonton for the second year in a row.

2025-26 Colorado Avalanche Predictions and Odds to Win Stanley Cup Finals
by Ryan Cobbett - 9/23/2025

The Colorado Avalanche put together one of the best regular season performances in the NHL last season as they finished third in the tough Central Division with 102 points. They finished with a +43-goal differential and mustered 47 of their season points on the road. They faced the Dallas Stars in the first round of the playoffs last season and fell victim to their old friend Mikko Rantanen after he solidified a series victory for the Stars in Game 7 of the first round.

2025-26 Carolina Hurricanes Predictions and Odds to Win Stanley Cup Finals
by Ryan Cobbett - 9/23/2025

Last season the Carolina Hurricanes finished with 99 points on the season which was good enough for a second-place finish in the Metro Division. Their 31-9-1 home record was the best mark in the Eastern Conference, and their +33-goal differential was the fourth best in the conference. Carolina opened up the playoffs with a series win against the Devils in five games, before proceeding to beat Washington in five. Unfortunately, their season ended at the hands of the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.

2025-26 Chicago Blackhawks Predictions and Odds to Win Stanley Cup Finals
by Ryan Cobbett - 9/23/2025

The Chicago Blackhawks were still in the midst of their rebuild last season. They finished 31st in the league with just 61 points, ahead of only the San Jose Sharks. Their 10-26-5 road record was tied for the second worst road performance in the NHL last season while their -70-goal differential was the second worst in the league.

2025-26 Boston Bruins Predictions and Odds to Win Stanley Cup Finals
by Ryan Cobbett - 9/22/2025

Last season was an incredibly disappointing campaign for Boston Bruins fans. They fell out of the playoff picture early and finished 15th in the Eastern Conference with 76 points, and their -50-goal differential was tied for the worst mark in the conference. Their last place finish in the Atlantic Division can be credited to their non-existent offense and the fact that they went 13-25-3 on the road, which was the worst in the Eastern Conference.

2025-26 Buffalo Sabres Predictions and Odds to Win Stanley Cup Finals
by Ryan Cobbett - 9/22/2025

Last season was another disappointing campaign for the Buffalo Sabres. After finishing with just 79 points, they placed seventh in the Atlantic Division, ahead of only Boston. They finished with a -20-goal differential, and their road struggles were a real hindrance to their season. Buffalo had some major internal concerns both inside the locker room and with the executives in the front office. However, the Sabres did finish the season on a 9-4-1 stretch, which could indicate that the franchise has moved past their internal issues.

2025-26 Calgary Flames Predictions and Odds to Win Stanley Cup Finals
by Ryan Cobbett - 9/22/2025

Despite all the naysayers last season, the Calgary Flames emerged as a contender, taking their playoff hopes all the way to the end of the season before narrowly missing out on the final wild card spot. Calgary finished with 96 points, despite finishing the year with a -13-goal differential, and they were the first team out in the Western Conference. They dominated on home ice, going 23-12-6, and their goaltending was amongst the league’s best.

2025-26 Anaheim Ducks Predictions and Odds to Win Stanley Cup Finals
by Ryan Cobbett - 9/15/2025

Last season the Anaheim Ducks went 35-37-10 as they missed the playoffs for the seventh straight season. Their 80 points on the season had them ranked 12th in the Western Conference and in sixth place in the Pacific Division. Anaheim had a tough time playing away from home last season as they finished just 14-19-8 on the road and their -42-goal differential was the seventh worst mark in the league.

2025 NHL Hockey Picks 3-for-1 Special
by Doc's Sports - 9/15/2025

The NHL hockey season is upon us and Doc's Sports are thrilled to have another avenue to burn the sports books. We offer the best hockey handicapping service in the country, and we are so confident of that fact we're willing to let you try three of our NHL handicappers for one low price.

Edmonton Oilers vs. Dallas Stars Series Predictions and Best Bets
by Ryan Cobbett - 5/20/2025

The Dallas Stars will begin a revenge series against the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Finals. Last year, the Edmonton Oilers knocked off the Dallas Stars in six games in the Conference Finals and they will look to find their way back to the Stanley Cup Finals while Dallas will be looking to return for the first time since 2020.

Florida Panthers vs Carolina Hurricanes Series Predictions and Best Bets
by Ryan Cobbett - 5/19/2025

The Carolina Hurricanes will now square off against the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final as they look to knock off the reigning Stanley Cup Champions. Carolina continued their dominating ways in the second round as they eliminated the Washington Capitals in five games. The Hurricanes are now 8-2 with a +16-goal differential. Florida had a much tougher time in the second round as they battled back from a 2-0 series deficit, going 4-1 over the final five games of the series, and knocked off the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Dallas Stars vs Winnipeg Jets Series Predictions and Best Bets
by Ryan Cobbett - 5/7/2025

The second Western Conference Semifinal matchup will begin with the Dallas Stars traveling to Winnipeg to take on the Presidents Trophy winning Jets. Both teams are coming off tough fought, seven-game series as the Central Division proves to be the best in the NHL. Winnipeg found luck on their side as they scored a game tying goal in Game Seven against St. Louis with less than two seconds remaining and then took the game in 2OT.

Edmonton Oilers vs. Vegas Golden Knights Series Predictions and Best Bets
by Ryan Cobbett - 5/6/2025

The Western Conference Semifinals will begin with the Vegas Golden Knights hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Vegas found their way back from a 2-1 deficit against the Minnesota Wild and wrapped up the series in six games. However, they walked away from the series with a -1-goal differential. Edmonton eliminated the Los Angeles Kings for the fourth straight season. After falling in the first two games, Edmonton stormed back to when the next four as their offense has averaged five goals per game over their four-game winning streak.

Carolina Hurricanes vs Washington Capitals Series Predictions and Best Bets
by Ryan Cobbett - 5/5/2025

The Carolina Hurricanes will take on the Washington Capitals in one of the two Eastern Conference semifinals matchups. The Hurricanes took down the New Jersey Devils in five games, winning the series with a +8-goal differential. The Capitals found their way around the Montreal Canadiens as they took the series in five games, finishing with a +6-goal differential.

Florida Panthers vs Toronto Maple Leafs Series Predictions and Best Bets
by Ryan Cobbett - 5/5/2025

The Eastern Conference Semifinals will kick off with the Florida Panthers traveling to Toronto to take on the Maple Leafs, who found a way to escape the first round. Toronto was able to hold off an Ottawa comeback and were able to utilize two overtime wins to take down the Senators in six games. As for Florida, they dominated the Battle of Florida once again as they took down Tampa Bay in five games, finishing the series with a +7-goal differential.

Montreal Canadiens vs Washington Capitals Series Predictions and Best Bets
by Ryan Cobbett - 4/17/2025

It would be hard to label the Washington Capitals season as anything other than just magical. They went from being one of the worst scoring teams in the NHL last season to finishing second in the league in scoring this year while also increasing their point total by 20. Not only that but the Great Eight broke the all-time goals record earlier this season.

Florida Panthers vs Tampa Bay Lightning Series Predictions and Best Bets
by Ryan Cobbett - 4/17/2025

The second Atlantic Division matchup is going to be the most entertaining series in the Eastern Conference as the Lightning and Panthers will square off in the Battle for Florida. Tampa Bay finally pulled ahead of Florida in the standings, late in the season, but these two teams are pretty even. They split the regular season series 2-2 with the Lightning posting a +5-goal differential in the series. Tampa Bay will look to dethrone the defending champions here in the first round of the playoffs.