The intensity of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is heralded each spring, but the weeks leading to the start of the postseason are underrated. With so many teams already battling for their playoff lives, we are, in turn, getting playoff-level intensity on the ice every night right now. Below, we will look at the betting ramifications for all of the teams on the proverbial bubble to make the postseason tournament. The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin on April 18.
Eastern Conference
Here is a look at teams on the Eastern Conference playoff bubble, along with the postseason odds.
Ottawa Senators
To make the playoffs odds: -330
Things are trending nicely for the Senators, who are trying to hold off the Islanders for the second Wild Card spot in the East. Ottawa is 6-3-1 in its last 10 games and hosts Tampa Bay Tuesday night. Its final four games of the season are against teams that are currently on the outside looking in when it comes to a playoff berth.
Philadelphia Flyers
To make the playoffs odds: -125
Like the Sens, the Flyers are also hot at the moment, having gone 7-3-0 in their last 10. They have a relatively rough schedule down the stretch, starting with the Devils tonight, before wrapping up with the Red Wings (April 9), the Jets (April 11), the Hurricanes (April 13), and the Canadiens (April 14).
New York Islanders
To make the playoffs odds: +220
Desperate times call for desperate measures and Islanders GM Mathieu Darche responded to the Isles’ four-game losing streak in kind by firing head coach Patrick Roy. Peter DeBoer is now on the bench for the Islanders and will look to give the team a jolt for the final four games of the season. New York is home against the Leafs on April 9, home vs. the Senators on April 11, home vs. the Canadiens on April 12, and home vs. the Hurricanes on April 14.
Columbus Blue Jackets
To make the playoffs odds: +230
The Blue Jackets have a huge game at Detroit tonight, another team clinging to their playoff hopes. Both the Blue Jackets and Red Wings are chasing the Senators for the final Wild Card spot. A regulation loss in tonight’s game for either team would put a huge dent in their plans to chase down Ottawa.
Columbus is in rough shape at the moment, having gone 0-5-1 in their last six games. After tonight’s game against the Red Wings, they play April 9 at the Sabres, April 11 at the Canadiens, April 12 at home vs. the Bruins, and April 14 at home vs. the Capitals.
Detroit Red Wings
To make the playoffs odds: +550
Like Columbus, the Red Wings are floundering down the stretch. Though Detroit has gone 6-4-0 in its last 10 games, they’ve lost two in a row. If the Red Wings fall to the Blue Jackets tonight, it’ll likely end their postseason hopes. After tonight’s game, Detroit plays at home April 9 vs. the Flyers, at home April 11 vs. the Devils, at the Lightning on April 13, and at the Panthers on April 15.
Western Conference
The Western Conference playoff picture is a tad more clear than that of the East, with only three teams realistically on the bubble, battling for the final wild card spot.
Los Angeles Kings
To make the playoffs odds: -130
The Kings are in a decent position to make the postseason, as reflected by their odds. LA moved back into the second wild card spot in the West on Monday night, courtesy of a 3-2 win over the Predators. The Kings host the Canucks on Thursday, the Oilers on Saturday, then will be at the Kraken on April 13, at the Canucks on April 14, and at the Flames to wrap up the regular season on April 16.
San Jose Sharks
To make the playoffs odds: +250
The Sharks are lingering in the Wild Card standings as they are two points behind the Kings. San Jose has 25 regulation wins, six more than the Kings. Regulation wins are a key tie-breaker in determining which teams will make the cut. The Sharks host the Oilers on April 8, will play at the Ducks on April 9, will host the Canucks on April 11, will play at the Predators on April 13, at the Blackhawks on April 15, and at the Jets on April 16.
Nashville Predators
To make the playoffs odds: +300
Monday night’s shootout loss to the Kings definitely stung the Predators, but Nashville still has plenty of time to make up some ground. The Preds have been quite streaky late in the season as they won four games in a row during a March 17 to March 24 stretch, but then lost three games in a row from March 26 to March 29. Andrew Brunette’s club faces the Ducks in Anaheim tonight, then will play the Mammoth in Utah on April 9. Nashville then wraps up with a three-game home stand as it will face the Wild on April 11, the Sharks on April 13, and the Ducks on April 16.