Two outdoor games are scheduled for the 2024-25 NHL season. Our outdoor game betting guide will help you handicap these marquee events on the NHL schedule. Spoiler, don't get cute, bet on the favorite.
NHL Outdoor Games Betting Guide
Since 2018 we've seen 17 outdoor games, and the favorite has won an overwhelming 71% of those contests with a 12-4-1 record.
| Market | Record |
|---|---|
| Favorites | 12-4-1* |
| Home | 12-5 |
| Over/Under | 8-8-1 |
* Blues vs. Wild in 2022 was a -110 pick 'em with no favorite
That 71% win rate by the favs in outdoor games is quite different from a standard in-season favorite. In a typical NHL year, the favorite wins about 60% of the time. Over the 2023-24 season, that trend stood with the favorite going 839-532SU or 61%.
Just like the favorites, the home team holds a 12-5SU record (again, 71%). The home team has won six of the last seven outdoor games. The only exception was the Islanders who lost 6-5 in OT against the Rangers at MetLife.
That 71% win rate by home teams is much different than the win rate in the regular season. Through the 2023-24 regular season, home teams were 710-602SU for a 54% win rate.
That's why this page is important, in-season trends don't hold when the games go outside.
Home Team Performs For Large Crowds
It's easy to see why the home team wins so frequently. These outdoor games draw massive crowds. The average attendance to an outdoor game since 2018 is just under 54,000 fans. In 2023-24, the average attendance at an NHL arena was slightly over 17,000. That's a 317% increase when going outside!
In 2020, the NHL welcomed a record 85,630 fans to the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas to see the Dallas Stars play the Nashville Predators. Dallas, the home team, won 4-2 on the day.
What did the game-winning goal for the @DallasStars sound like in the Cotton Bowl?
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) January 2, 2020
Something like this. #WinterClassic // @NHL pic.twitter.com/OrIdzAsgJ7
Remember that the home team has an advantage even if the stage is technically neutral. Per the NHL rulebook, the home team gets the last change. That means they can match up strategically against whomever the away team puts out there.
2024-25 NHL Outdoor Games Schedule
| Date | Away | Home | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2024 | St. Louis Blues | Chicago Blackhawks | Wrigley Field |
| March 1, 2025 | Detroit Red Wings | Columbus Blue Jackets | Ohio Stadium |
This will be Chicago's seventh outdoor game, though it is the first one since 2019. But you know Bettman had to get the Hawks outside with Connor Bedard among their ranks. Chicago is a pathetic 1-6SU when playing outside and 1-2SU as the home team.
For Columbus, this will be their first time outside. We'll see how many fans they squeeze into the 102,700-capacity Ohio Stadium on March 1. Maybe they set the new outdoor attendance record?
NHL Teams With the Most Outdoor Games
| Team | Number of Games |
|---|---|
| Chicago Blackhawks | 7 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 6 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 6 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 5 |
| Boston Bruins | 5 |
| New York Rangers | 5 |
Includes games scheduled for the 2024-25 season
All four American sides from the NHL's original six (Chicago, Boston, NY Rangers and Detroit) have featured heavily in the league's outdoor schedule over the years. Don't worry the two Canadian sides from the original six (Montreal and Toronto) aren't far behind with four outdoor games each.
NHL Teams With No Outdoor Games
- Florida Panthers
- Utah Hockey Club / Arizona Coyotes
That's right the defending Stanley Cup champions have never played outdoors. Sure, they play in a warm climate, but so do the Dallas Stars, Vegas Golden Knights, LA Kings, Anaheim Ducks, and Tampa Bay Lightning and they all played at least one outdoor game. Even the brand-new Seattle Kraken has an outdoor game!
It's about time Florida gets an outdoor game.
