In a week where the margins are already thin in the NHL playoff odds race and the MLB field is sealed, the biggest movement is about separation: Colorado is building it, while a few contenders are already fighting drift. With the NBA still in NBA playoff odds preseason, there is no movement there yet — only projection.
NHL: Colorado leads, Carolina and Edmonton slip
Colorado Avalanche are the clear early leader at playoff odds, 105 projected points, and championship odds after a 1-0 start. In a 1-of-84-game season, that is not a finished statement, but it is a clean one: COL already sits ahead of every other team in the field.
The rise behind them is more about position than record. Vegas Golden Knights are to make the playoffs with 101 projected points after opening 1-0, and Pittsburgh Penguins are at after a 1-0 start. PIT’s unbeaten start matters because it has them inside the top seven in playoff odds, not because one game says much this early.
The slide is sharper for teams that opened on the wrong side of the ledger. Carolina Hurricanes are still strong at and 100 projected points, but they are 0-1 and have already lost ground to COL and VGK. Edmonton Oilers are with 97 projected points after a 0-1 start, and that keeps them behind PIT despite championship pedigree and a top-eight projection.
NBA: No movement yet, only projections
The NBA is still in preseason, so there are no rising or falling teams from results yet. The NBA playoff odds board is entirely forecast-driven right now, which means the only real story is where the model starts teams before the regular season begins.
That leaves the highest-profile contenders grouped together without any game data to separate them. There is no standings movement to report, and no team has earned an actual swing in either direction.
MLB: The bracket is set, but the championship path is not
The MLB postseason is underway, so playoff odds are no longer about qualification; they are about title paths. Milwaukee Brewers enter with the best record at 103-59, playoff odds, 103 projected wins, and championship odds, but New York Yankees are the bigger market mover at playoff odds and a league-best championship chance despite a 93-68 record.
Los Angeles Dodgers are right there too at playoff odds, 100 projected wins, and championship odds after going 100-62. The gap between NYY, LAD, and MIL is small enough that one postseason series can flip the entire conversation.
On the falling side, Atlanta Braves are still a factor at 94-68 and championship odds, but that number trails the top tier by a wide margin. Philadelphia Phillies are even farther back at 88-74 and , which puts them in the bracket but not in the same tier as the true favorites.
One Team to Watch Next Week
Edmonton is the swing team. At 0-1 with playoff odds and 97 projected points, the Oilers are close enough to the top of the NHL board to rebound quickly, but one more slip would push them deeper into a crowded middle where every percentage point matters.