The NHL betting odds to win the Western Conference have been shaken up following the league’s announcement of a 24-team playoff format set to begin later this summer. Below, we make our picks and best bets to win the Western Conference and advance to the Stanley Cup Final.
2019-20 NHL Western Conference Odds: Favorites
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated Thursday, May 28 at 2:20 p.m. ET.
| TEAM | ODDS |
| Colorado Avalanche | +325 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | +350 |
| St. Louis Blues | +450 |
| Dallas Stars | +650 |
Colorado Avalanche (+325)
The Avalanche sat first or second in the Central Division for much of the 2019-20 campaign and finished the abbreviated regular season with 92 points in 70 games (42-20-8). Their plus-46 goal differential was the best in the Western Conference and their 237 goals scored were nine more than any other team in the conference.
The Avs were one of the most-heavily injury-ridden teams in the league at the time of the pause. C Nathan MacKinnon (lower body), RW Mikko Rantanen (upper body), C Nazem Kadri (lower body) and G Philipp Grubauer (lower body) were just a few who may have been in jeopardy for the beginning of a mid-April postseason. All are now expected to be back to full health.
The favorites in the West are well worth backing. A $10 bet will return a profit of $32.50 is they advance to the Stanley Cup Final.
Vegas Golden Knights (+350)
Like the Avalanche, the Golden Knights are heavy favorites to make it out of the West. Las Vegas is a finalist to be named as a hub city for the postseason, potentially giving the Knights a key home-ice advantage.
Vegas went 39-24-8 through 71 games to finish atop the Pacific Division. RW Mark Stone (lower body), LW Max Pacioretty (lower body) and C Chandler Stephenson (upper body) should all be back in the lineup, giving the Golden Knights one of the deepest forward groups in the league.
Get some action on the NHL playoffs by placing a legal sports bet (in NJ, IN, CO and WV) at BetMGM.com.
2019-20 NHL Western Conference Odds: Long shots
| TEAM | ODDS |
| Edmonton Oilers | +1000 |
| Calgary Flames | +1400 |
| Nashville Predators | +1400 |
| Vancouver Canucks | +1700 |
| Minnesota Wild | +1800 |
| Arizona Coyotes | +2000 |
| Winnipeg Jets | +2400 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | +5000 |
Edmonton Oilers (+1000)
I chased value in my Eastern Conference picks, targeting strong goaltending and long shots with inflated odds. In the West, it’s all about the favorites with the odds being much more condensed.
C Leon Draisaitl and C Connor McDavid finished 1-2 in both points and assists in the regular season. They’ll draw the 12th-seeded Blackhawks in the Qualification Round and are heavily favored to advance to Round 1 of the 16-team playoffs.
Want some action in the 2019-20 NHL Playoffs? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
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