Betting: Are Patriots or Bruins More Likely to Make Playoffs Next Season?

The Boston Bruins unexpectedly missed the playoffs last season as it seemed everything went wrong from captain Brad Marchand clashing with coach Jim Montgomery, to Marchand being traded, Montgomery being fired, and the season ending meekly in April.

The New England Patriots flat out stunk. They were more overexposed than Bill Belichick’s new relationship.

So, according to Fanduel NHL odds and some projections, which Boston team is more likely to return to the playoffs next season?

Believe it or not, based on FanDuel’s latest odds, the Bruins hold more than a slight edge over the Patriots for playoff contention, but both teams face uphill battles after disappointing 2024-25 campaigns.

FanDuel’s odds for the Patriots to make the 2025-26 NFL playoffs are listed at +700, implying a mere 12.5% chance of postseason play. In contrast, the Bruins’ odds to qualify for the 2025-26 season despite missing the playoffs last season are +106, which means a 48.5% implied probability.

The Bruins’ 33-39-10 record last year should inspire no confidence, especially as they haven’t yet done anything to improve significantly. At the same time, their historical rival, the Montreal Canadiens, made a big splash Friday to acquire New York Islanders top-pair defenseman Noah Dobson. FanDuel has priced the Bruins at +106 to make the playoffs, suggesting a 48.5% implied probability.

Making the Bruins’ playoff climb even tougher, the Buffalo Sabres are clawing their way out of the Atlantic Division laughing stock, and the Columbus Blue Jackets snagged Charlie Coyle in a pre-draft trade Friday.

In other words, the Bruins’ competition is getting better, and the Bruins … are thus far stuck hoping Elias Lindholm regains form quickly.

The Patriots are coming off a 4-13 season and have undergone significant changes under new head coach Mike Vrabel.

Quarterback Drake Maye is showing some promise. Last season, Maye-Mania had 1,696 passing yards, 11 TDs, and 345 rushing yards. There have been isolated outbreaks of cautious but contagious optimism. FanDuel’s +700 odds reflect a 17.4% chance of winning the AFC East, trailing the Buffalo Bills but ahead of other divisional rivals. The Patriots’ path back to the playoffs hinges greatly on improving their offense, which ranked second-worst in the NFL at a mere 291 yards per game. Don’t worry, the Patriots’ lack of offensive prowess was offset by a defense that allowed 340.2 yards per game. All stats per FanDuel Research.

The Bruins need to steam clean from their memory the 2024-25 season that was low-lighted by a coaching change, defensive struggles, and trading Marchand. The Bruins nearly finished last in the Eastern Conference. Despite still icing Hart Trophy candidate David Pastrnak and a healthier defensive corps next season, they’re still perfectly in the middle of the pack. In fact, they might struggle to the middle with the crowded Eastern Conference.

To answer the question literally, FanDuel’s middle-of-the-road odds for the Bruins suggested a stronger postseason probability than the Patriots’ current +700, but the Bruins’ late-season collapse and lack of sweeping offseason moves don’t improve their lot.

In fact, we may have caught a little touch of the optimism, and give the Patriots a slight edge because of their recent roster upgrades, while the Bruins’ prospects might represent their best upgrades.

We shouldn’t, but we’ll take the Pats and the odds.