NHL 2021 Regular Season: Odds, Trends for Opening Night

Bet NHL with William Hill, America’s #1 sportsbook.

The puck drops tonight, as the NHL regular season is underway! There are five games in store, including the Stanley Cup champions starting their title defense.

William Hill has the odds up for every matchup, starting with the opening game between two Pennsylvania rivals. The Flyers and Penguins will face off at 5:40 p.m. ET/2:40 p.m. PT, with each team possessing -110 moneyline odds.

Will the Lightning strike again? Tampa Bay won its second Stanley Cup in 2020 after defeating the Stars in six games. The Lightning start off their 2021 campaign by taking on the Blackhawks at 8:10 p.m. ET/5:10 p.m. PT. Tampa Bay is the biggest favorite tonight at -250, while Chicago is +220 to pull off the outright upset. Additionally, this game has the highest total of any of these five games at 6.5, as the other four are each at 6.

One of William Hill’s 2021 Stanley Cup co-favorites is also in action today, as the Avalanche are -145 chalk against the Blues at 10:40 p.m. ET/7:40 p.m. PT. Colorado is atop the 2021 Stanley Cup futures board at +550 along with the Golden Knights, and the Lightning are close behind at +650.

The other matchups are Canadiens (+115) at Maple Leafs (-135) at 7:10 p.m. ET/4:10 p.m. PT and Canucks (+120) at Oilers (-140) at 10:10 p.m. ET/7:10 p.m. PT.

How have William Hill bettors been wagering on the opening night contests?

Colorado been the most popular been as of now at William Hill. The Avalanche lead all teams playing tonight in total number of tickets (79%) and total dollars wagered (95%) for all moneyline bets in their respective games.

Only one underdog tonight has gotten the majority of the total number of tickets or total dollars wagered, and it’s the biggest long shot. The Blackhawks have generated 70% of the total dollars wagered for all moneyline bets against the Lightning, while Tampa Bay has attracted 65% of the total number of tickets.

The biggest bet for NHL opening night thus far, though, has come in on a total. A Nevada bettor placed $12,000 on Canucks vs. Oilers over 6 goals (-120) for a total potential payout of $22,000.


Check out William Hill’s latest odds and trends for the first night of 2021 NHL games below.

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