DraftKings Sportsbook isn’t wasting any time and is the first sportsbook up with a 2025-26 NHL regular season point total market. You can bet on all 32 NHL teams and their point totals right now, and considering there is already quite a bit of odd movement, I suggest hopping in on the action soon.
With that said, let’s take a look at the full market and identify my top picks and predictions heading into the upcoming NHL season.
Top Regular Season Point Total Picks on DraftKings Sportsbook
Buffalo Sabres Under 84.5 Regular Season Points (+100)
As a Sabres fan, I’m unsure what the public is thinking by juicing the over to -130 odds in under 24 hours. Buffalo hasn’t made the playoffs since the 2010-11 season, the longest playoff drought in NHL history. In that span, the Sabres have only eclipsed this point total twice and arguably look worse on paper than they did last season. The front office, led by general manager Kevyn Adams, is among the worst in the NHL and did very little this offseason to help the team take the next step.
JJ Peterka told the team he wasn’t going to re-sign in Buffalo, so a trade was forced at the end of June and the return of Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan was quite underwhelming. There is no denying that the Sabres’ defensive depth is the strongest it has been in recent memory, but without Peterka’s presence, it’s not outlandish to say that their top nine is among the worst forward groups in the league. It certainly helps that both Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson exist, but considering Buffalo’s division opponents (Montreal and Ottawa) were 1) already better last season and 2) added meaningful pieces this offseason, it’s going to be hard to eclipse 85 regular-season points.
Plus, let’s not forget that a generational talent in Gavin McKenna is draft-eligible next season. The Sabres missed out on Connor McDavid back in 2015 and desperately need a legitimate 1C to play alongside Thompson. McKenna fits that bill, and although the NHL dislikes Buffalo, I’m sure the front office and management are aware of the circumstances.
Pittsburgh Penguins Under 78.5 Regular Season Points (-120)
The average age of the Penguins’ roster is 31.4 years old, which leads the league. Having 37-year-old Sidney Crosby and 38-year-old Evgeni Malkin certainly skews that average but it doesn’t change the fact that this team has been on the decline for the past few seasons. At this point, half of the roster is rumored to be traded from Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell to legendary veterans like Erik Karlsson and even Crosby. It’s always felt like Crosby was going to finish his career in Pittsburgh but the team hasn’t made the playoffs since 2022 after clinching 15 straight seasons prior. Crosby is still posting above one point per game and requesting a trade could at least help the team acquire some solid pieces.
79 points is a very low total, and even amid its recent decline, Pittsburgh has still cleared this line. But there are plenty of rumors that everything will fall into place for the Penguins to get the first overall pick and draft McKenna. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman loves to rig the draft lottery and it just so happens that Pittsburgh’s legendary 2005 first overall pick is now 37 years old and could be playing in a different sweater next season. The Penguins have been active on the trade market this offseason, but none of them have been legitimate moves that made the team better than they were last season. Teams will blatantly tank for McKenna and Pittsburgh is at the top of that list.
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