The NHL All-Star festivities will be a tad different this year compared to the past. Allow us to explain what’s changed, and more importantly, how you can make money betting NHL All-Star weekend!
- What: NHL All-Star
- When: February 2 (Skills Challenge) and February 3 (All-Star game)
- Where: Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2024 NHL All-Star Game Preview
We’ll get to the betting soon, but our preview of the 2024 NHL All-Star game has to begin with a recap of what’s changed — which is a lot. Like other leagues, the NHL is looking for ways to revitalize interest in its All-Star competition. This has led to a completely redone format for 2024.
First of all, it’s no longer a divisional matchup. Like the NBA and NFL, NHL has ditched inter-division games in favor of team captains — co-captains, actually. You see, every team will have a celebrity and NHL All-Star player leading the team. Here are the four pairings:
- Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews and Justin Bieber (Bieber and his team also designed the All-Star jerseys being used this season)
- Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon and Tate McRae
- New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes (injured, will not play in the game, only captain), Vancouver Canucks defenceman Quinn Hughes, and Michael Bublé
- Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid and Will Arnett
NHL also introduced a draft format into the All-Star game. Captains will select their 11-player team — nine skaters and two goaltenders. The draft was on Thursday so rosters are set. While the league ditched the divisional format of the game, it didn’t do so in the way it selected the All Stars. Per usual, players were selected per conference.
The skills competition that took place the day before was also changed. Previously, every All-Star participant was forced to compete in one of the skills games —fastest skater, hardest shot, stick-handling, one-timers, passing challenge, and accuracy shooting. Not this year though as 12 players have been selected to compete in all of those skills events.
Points will be earned from each competition. After the first six completions are played, the competing field is whittled down to the eight with the most points. These eight players then go at it in an NHL shootout. Finally, the best-six move on the final which is an obstacle course of sorts. The last one standing earns a whopping $1 million in prize money so there’s incentive for everyone in the Skills contest.
Best Bets For NHL All-Star Game
We’ll be spreading our NHL bets come the All-Star game. Three wagers have caught our attention and they are as follows:
NHL All Star Skills Competition Winner
Honestly, this event is what we’re most looking forward to. A million dollars for one night of work is more than enough to bring out the best in everyone in the field. Speaking of which, here are the players most favored to win the All-Star Skills Competition:
| Player |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connor McDavid | +650 | +650 | +650 |
| Cale Makar | +750 | +750 | +750 |
| Nikita Kucherov | +650 | +650 | +650 |
| David Pastrnak | +850 | +850 | +850 |
| Auston Matthews | +900 | +900 | +900 |
| Nathan MacKinnon | +900 | +900 | +900 |
| Quinn Hughes | +900 | +900 | +900 |
| William Nylander | +900 | +900 | +900 |
With the new format, you need to pick a player who can do it all on the ice. The first name that comes to mind is the Hart Trophy frontrunner, McDavid. Can he pass? His 47 assists this season say yes. Fastest skater? Won it before. Stick-handling? Oh, you betcha. Having all these skills is why McDavid is the league’s most dominant player so he’s a no-brainer bet here as far as we’re concerned.
NHL All Star Team Winner
Remember, the basic format of the All-Star game remains — 3 on 3 and a four-team single-elimination tournament. There’s been a lot of bells and whistles added but hockey is still hockey. As for who’s winning, here are odds for each of the four teams at the top NHL betting sites:
| Team | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team McDavid | +250 | +250 | +250 |
| Team MacKinnon | +275 | +275 | +275 |
| Team Matthews | +275 | +275 | +275 |
| Team Hughes | +300 | +300 | +300 |
Unlike the skills competition, there is no cash incentive here. Therefore, picking this bet is actually more of a crapshoot because you don’t really know who’s motivated to try or not. However, you have to think the Maple Leafs players, as the hosts, will want to put on a show at home, right? Right?
Eh, in that case, we’re choosing Team Matthews and Bieber — the two prides and joys of Toronto. Our previous bet on McDavid is more high confidence so maybe keep the risk smaller here but Team Matthews makes the most sense out of the four.
NHL All Star MVP Winner
You know the deal here, which player will be named MVP of the All-Star game? Here’s your list of betting options:
| Player | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auston Matthews | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| Connor McDavid | +900 | +900 | +900 |
| Nathan MacKinnon | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| William Nylander | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| David Pastrnak | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Nikita Kucherov | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Leon Draisaitl | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
We’re not going to overthink this bet one bit. As we said, being in Toronto, the extra shine is on team captain Matthews. So long as his team doesn’t flounder in the tourney, Matthews will be a solid play for MVP. Beyond the home-ice advantage, it’s not like Mathew’s isn’t one of the best players in the league already. We’ll safely throw money his way here.
How To Bet On 2024 NHL All-Star?
NHL All-Star betting can be done at any one of the sportsbooks below. The odds we covered above can be had, as well as others (e.g. winners of specific skills competitions). Per our newest sportsbook reviews, these sites lead the way in offering NHL odds for any and every point of the season.
Here’s the real reason to use these bookies though: lucrative sportsbook bonuses. Each of these sites offers multiple free-play deals to new sign-ups and returning players. These deals range from hundreds of dollars to thousands — more than enough to fund your NHL gambling for the All Star weekend. Our favorite offers are listed below. Pick one and you’re off to the races.
