PWHL Expansion Team Odds: Who Are the Favored Cities?
The Professional Women’s Hockey League is gearing up for its second season, but after the success of its inaugural 2024 campaign, the circuit is also planning for the future – and for expansion into markets in North America beyond its Original Six.
The PWHL launched with six franchises: Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto in Canada and Boston, Minnesota, and New York in the United States. And with Europe especially fuelling an expanded player pool the league has seemingly moved up its timetable for adding new teams to as early as 2025-26.
So which cities would be the frontrunners for a PWHL expansion team? Leading the way among the PWHL expansion team odds at one of our best sports betting sites are two cities that hosted neutral-site games last season plus several other logical contenders based on geography and their hockey-supporting history.
What cities will have a PWHL expansion team ahead of the 2025-2026 season?
(Odds via FanDuel as of Nov. 15)
| City | Odds | Implied Probability | Profit on $10 Bet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit | -115 | 53.49% | $8.70 |
| Pittsburgh | +105 | 48.78% | $11 |
| Chicago | +200 | 33.33% | $20 |
| Calgary, Alberta | +250 | 28.57% | $25 |
| Quebec City, Quebec | +300 | 25.00% | $30 |
| Philadelphia | +750 | 11.76% | $75 |
| Edmonton, Alberta | +900 | 10.00% | $90 |
| Halifax, Nova Scotia | +1100 | 8.33% | $110 |
| Seattle | +1400 | 6.67% | $140 |
| Vancouver, British Columbia | +1400 | 6.67% | $140 |
| Las Vegas | +1600 | 5.88% | $160 |
| Hamilton, Ontario | +2400 | 4.00% | $240 |
| New Jersey | +3700 | 2.63% | $370 |
| Buffalo | +3700 | 2.63% | $370 |
| Tampa Bay | +6000 | 1.64% | $600 |
| Utah | +6000 | 1.64% | $600 |
| Windsor, Ontario | +6000 | 1.64% | $600 |
| Nashville | +6000 | 1.64% | $600 |
| Winnipeg, Manitoba | +6000 | 1.64% | $600 |
| Dallas | +6000 | 1.64% | $600 |
| London, Ontario | +6000 | 1.64% | $600 |
What countries will the two PWHL expansion teams be from?
| City | Odds | Implied Probability | Profit on $10 Bet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada/U.S. | -140 | 58.33% | $7.14 |
| U.S./U.S. | +110 | 47.62% | $11 |
| Canada/Canada | +500 | 16.67% | $50 |
Detroit, Pittsburgh leading the PWHL expansion city odds
The PWHL staged two neutral-site games last season, with Ottawa facing Boston at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on March 16, and Toronto taking on Montreal at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh the following day. Detroit sits as the -115 favorite at FanDuel Ontario to be awarded a PWHL expansion team for the 2025-26 season, with Pittsburgh next at +105 odds on that board.
Last season’s matchup in Detroit was extremely well attended, with 13,736 fans showing up at the game – that set the record for the biggest crowd to watch a women’s pro hockey game in the United States. The game in Pittsburgh, in comparison, had 8,850 fans in attendance, which is still a higher number than the average home crowd for each of the six PWHL clubs last season (Ottawa and Minnesota had the highest average attendance last season at over 7,000 fans per game; Montreal was just under at 6,800).
Detroit and Pittsburgh are likely to be given neutral-site games once again in the upcoming season, with the league having already released its 2024-25 regular-season schedule (it gets underway on November 30) but having only announced the location of one of its planned neutral-site matchups.
Quebec City has already thrown its hat into the PWHL ring
And that location is Quebec City, which will host a matchup between Montreal and Ottawa at the Videotron Centre on Jan. 19. Quebec City sits at +300 odds to have a PWHL expansion team for the 2025-26 season, and has already expressed interest in getting a team. The Videotron Centre, which opened in 2015, was built to lure an NHL team to Quebec City, so it would be well-suited for the PWHL.
Chicago (+200) and Calgary (+250) round out the top five cities on the oddsboard, with Philadelphia at +750, and Edmonton at +900. The league would also surely like to establish a west-coast presence in the future, but Seattle and Vancouver are farther down the odds list at just +1400.
Other PWHL props hit the board as the season approaches
Beyond the expansion odds, FanDuel Ontario is also offering up props on which team’s home opener will have the highest attendance, and which team will have the most Instagram followers by the end of the season.
When Detroit set the record for the biggest crowd to watch a women’s pro hockey game in the United States, it broke the mark set by Minnesota in its home opener in 2024 (13,316). And having won the PWHL Finals over Boston last year – meaning a banner-raising will be on tap for its opener – Minnesota is not surprisingly the +160 favorite to have the best-attended home opener this season.
Which PWHL team's home opener will have the highest attendance?
| Team (Date) | Odds | Implied Probability | Profit on $10 Bet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Frost (Dec. 1, 2024) | +160 | 38.46% | $16 |
| Toronto Sceptres (Nov. 30, 2024) | +270 | 27.03% | $27 |
| Montreal Victoire (Nov. 30, 2024) | +300 | 25.00% | $30 |
| New York Sirens (Dec. 18, 2024) | +420 | 19.23% | $42 |
| Ottawa Charge (Dec. 3, 2024) | +750 | 11.76% | $75 |
| Boston Fleet (Dec. 4, 2024) | +1100 | 8.33% | $110 |
Which PWHL team will have the most Instagram followers by end of season?
| Team | Odds | Implied Probability | Profit on $10 Bet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto Sceptres | -192 | 65.75% | $5.21 |
| Montreal Victorie | +480 | 17.24% | $48 |
| Minnesota Frost | +760 | 11.63% | $76 |
| Boston Fleet | +920 | 9.80% | $92 |
| New York Sirens | +1060 | 8.62% | $106 |
| Ottawa Charge | +1300 | 7.14% | $130 |
Stick with the sensible picks for the PWHL expansion odds
Detroit’s huge crowd for its neutral-site contest last season surely got the attention of executives around the PWHL, and the modern Videotron Centre in a Quebec City market clamoring for pro hockey has to be appealing to the league too. Plus, that would keep the Canada/United States balance intact. Detroit and Quebec City aren’t the most lucrative picks in this spot, but they certainly make the most sense.
My picks: Detroit (-115) and Quebec City (+300)
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