I am aware that it is July, the weather has been nice, the Olympics are right around the corner and nobody is thinking about hockey. Well, I am, and NHL regular season team point totals just dropped on DraftKings Sportsbook. NHL free agency was action-packed and there are plenty of potent goalscorers and playmakers set to rock different jerseys come the start of the 2024-25 season.
Let’s take a look at my three favorite bets on the regular season team point total market on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Nashville Predators
Over 98.5 Regular Season Team Points (-125)
Considering the odds have already jumped up to -125, there’s clearly some eye-popping value here for the Predators, who had quite a busy offseason. Nashville addressed all areas of the team by extending Juuse Saros and signing Scott Wedgewood, bolstering its defense by signing Brady Skjei and adding some exciting offensive firepower with the signings of Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault.
While some of its depth chose to sign elsewhere and there are some clear weaknesses, Nashville still projects to be much more of a problem offensively this upcoming season. The Western Conference is stacked with talented teams, especially the Central Division but the Predators still hit this total on the dot in 2024, figure to be a top defensive team and field one of the top goaltenders in the league. I’d expect this number to rise one or two points once more bettors get in on the clear value at opening.
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Ottawa Senators
Over 90.5 Regular Season Team Points (-120)
As a Sabres fan, it pains me to see the other Atlantic Division opponents who were near the bottom of the standings make moves that make their team better. Ottawa already has the talented offensive firepower in Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Drake Batherson and Shane Pinto but the signing of Linus Ullmark to be the full-time starter should help this team take the next step.
The Senators were exciting last season despite posting just 78 regular season team points and finishing seventh in the Atlantic Division. They totaled 250 goals and averaged 3.05 goals per game but could not slow down any opposing offenses, allowing the fifth-most goals per game (3.43). Joonas Korpisalo and Anton Forsberg struggled nearly every night and the only way Ottawa secured wins was by lighting up the scoreboard. 90.5 is steep for a team for like Ottawa but they hired Travis Green at the beginning of May, who has postseason coaching experience and could be just what this young team needed.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Under 90.5 Regular Season Team Points (-115)
It is hard to bet against Sidney Crosby but it really feels like Pittsburgh’s success weighs almost exclusively on his shoulders and how well he can carry the team at 36 years old. Crosby is still elite and there’s a chance Pittsburgh gets a revitalized version of Kevin Hayes, whom it traded for at the end of June. However, the other Metropolitan Division opponents grouped around the Penguins did more to take the next step and cast themselves ahead of the rest of the third-to-seventh-place range.
Pittsburgh just missed the playoffs last season, finishing with 88 points and claiming fifth place in the division. The Penguins were very average in 2024, allowing the 20th-most goals per game (3.02) and averaging the 19th-most goals per game (3.09). The Islanders, Capitals, Flyers and even Devils figure to be better next season with key depth acquisitions, as well. It just feels like a lot of things need to go perfectly for Pittsburgh to eclipse the 90.5 point total. That includes otherworldly play from Crosby, breakout seasons for young talent like Drew O’Connor and a complete season from Tristan Jarry among other factors.
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook, lines and odds subject to change.
All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
