NHL Central Division Odds 2026-27: Colorado Defends Title

No 2026-27 Central Division odds were posted in ESPN’s NHL futures feed on 24 September 2026, so this page names no price yet. The Colorado Avalanche go in as the holders, after winning the Central in 2025-26 with 121 points, the most in the NHL.

Dallas finished second on 112 points, nine back. Minnesota was third on 104, and four of the division’s eight teams made the playoffs.

2025-26 Central Division final standings

Team	Record	Points	Goals for	Goals against	Difference
Colorado Avalanche	55-16-11	121	302	203	+99
Dallas Stars	50-20-12	112	279	226	+53
Minnesota Wild	46-24-12	104	272	240	+32
Utah Mammoth	43-33-6	92	268	240	+28
St. Louis Blues	37-33-12	86	231	258	-27
Nashville Predators	38-34-10	86	247	269	-22
Winnipeg Jets	35-35-12	82	231	260	-29
Chicago Blackhawks	29-39-14	72	213	275	-62

Colorado allowed 203 goals, 23 fewer than anyone else in the division. Its goaltenders, Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood, shared the William Jennings Trophy for the fewest goals allowed.

Utah was the fourth Central team into the playoffs, on 92 points. St. Louis and Nashville tied on 86, six short, and Chicago’s 275 goals against were the most in the Central.

How the Central teams did in the 2026 playoffs

The division sent four teams and none reached the Stanley Cup Final. Colorado swept Los Angeles and beat Minnesota 4-1, then was swept 4-0 by Vegas in the Western Conference Final.

Series	Result
First round	Colorado Avalanche beat Los Angeles Kings 4-0
First round	Minnesota Wild beat Dallas Stars 4-2
First round	Vegas Golden Knights beat Utah Mammoth 4-2
Second round	Colorado Avalanche beat Minnesota Wild 4-1
Conference final	Vegas Golden Knights beat Colorado Avalanche 4-0

Vegas then lost the Final 4-2 to Carolina. Dallas, second in the Central by eight points over Minnesota, went out to the Wild in six games. A division price pays only on the regular season, so that series does not change what the 2025-26 Central ticket paid.

Central Division opening games for 2026-27

The eight teams are the same as last season. Each plays 84 games, 28 of them inside the division, and the regular season ends on Saturday, 10 April 2027.

Team	First game (ET)
Chicago Blackhawks	Tue 29 Sep, at Vegas Golden Knights, 10:30 p.m.
Colorado Avalanche	Wed 30 Sep, home to Los Angeles Kings, 10 p.m.
Nashville Predators	Thu 1 Oct, home to Minnesota Wild, 8 p.m.
Minnesota Wild	Thu 1 Oct, at Nashville Predators, 8 p.m.
Utah Mammoth	Thu 1 Oct, home to Chicago Blackhawks, 9:30 p.m.
Winnipeg Jets	Fri 2 Oct, home to Boston Bruins, 8 p.m.
Dallas Stars	Fri 2 Oct, home to St. Louis Blues, 9 p.m.
St. Louis Blues	Fri 2 Oct, at Dallas Stars, 9 p.m.

Three division games open the Central schedule: Minnesota at Nashville and Chicago at Utah on 1 October, then St. Louis at Dallas the next night. Colorado starts at home, and St. Louis waits until 8 October for its first home game, against San Jose.

How to read Central Division odds once they post

A price converts to a break-even chance. For plus money, divide 100 by the price plus 100: a team at +300 needs to win the division 25.0% of the time. For minus money, divide the price by the price plus 100, so a favorite at -200 needs 66.7%.

A division bet is worth making only when you rate a team’s chance higher than its price does. Add the eight break-even rates together and the total will pass 100%. That excess is the book’s margin, and it is the reason to compare prices before you take one.

More NHL futures and picks

The other three division races are on our Atlantic, Metropolitan and Pacific pages. League-wide markets are on the Stanley Cup odds page, the NHL conference odds page and the Presidents’ Trophy odds page.

Game-by-game calls are on the NHL predictions hub, nightly lines on the NHL scores and odds page, and team pages start with the Colorado Avalanche. For paid NHL picks through the season, the membership trial is here.