Trent Reinsmith
- BetOnline has the Avalanche (+250) and the Oilers (+450) as top Western Conference contenders as the calendar moves to November
- The Golden Knights have dropped to +500 after a rough start to the 2021-22 NHL season
- The St. Louis Blues have jumped to +950 after starting the season at +1400 to win the Western Conference this season
The 2021-22 NHL regular season began on October 12 with the Vegas Golden Knights opening their season with a win over the Seattle Kraken. The Golden Knights followed that win with four consecutive losses. The Avalanche also struggled in the early going of the season. The Colorado club also won its home opener, but went without a victory in their next three outings. Vegas and Colorado were the pre-season favorites in the West.
The Oilers were one of the top four Western Conference teams before the start of the current season, but the club came out of the gate hot, thanks to the scoring prowess of the surging Connor McDavid. With the team unbeaten in their first five games, the oddsmakers have given the Oilers a much better chance to end the season at the top of the Western Conference.
The 2021 season ended with the Tampa Bay Lightning winning the Stanley Cup markets in five games over the Montreal Canadiens.
Let’s look at the preseason Western Conference, Eastern Conference and Stanley Cup Odds and picks. Also, be sure to check out our NHL betting tips page for tips and advice on how to wager on hockey.
2022 Western Conference Odds
Oilers surge
The Oilers started the 2021-22 NHL season on an impressive 5-0 run. The team began the 1983-84, 1985-86 and 2019-20 seasons with the same 5-0 mark. This year’s club saw that streak end against the Philadelphia Flyers.
By the time the Oilers lost, Connor McDavid led the NHL in points 15 (7G, 8A), while the team ranked fifth in goals per game (4.33), second in points (74), first in power play goals (9), and first in PP percentage (42.9 %).
The downside of the Oiler run is the team’s defensive stats are not on the same page as the offense as its goals against average is 15th in the league at 3.00.
Oilers to win the Western Conference +450 via Sportsbetting.
Golden Knights and Avalanche struggle
The Golden Knights had a rough start to their 2021-22 season, but back-to-back wins in late October might have righted the ship. After a win in their opener, Vegas lost four straight, but they ended October with wins over Colorado and Dallas. The winning streak is a plus for Vegas, who have left wing Max Pacioretty, right wing Alex Tuch and defenseman Zach Whitecloud on injured reserve.
Golden Knights to win the Western Conference +500 via Betonline.
Colorado opened the 2021-22 campaign with a 4-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, but the team faltered after that victory, losing three straight before picking up a win over the defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning. The Avalanche were unable to maintain momentum from the win over Tampa Bay and dropped their next game to Vegas 3-1. Colorado was outscored 23-15 in the early days of the current season.
Colorado Avalanche to win the Western Conference +250 via GTBets.
Keep an eye on the Wild and the Blues
The St. Louis Blues of 2021-22 opened the season with a perfect 5-0 record. The team has never started a season with a record this strong. They have three 4-0 starts in franchise history. But the team could be in for a rough ride as the club’s captain, Ryan O’Reilly will miss at least 10 days as he has been placed in COVID-19 protocol.
St. Louis Blues to win the Western Conference +1000 via Bovada.
Minnesota opened its season at 5-1 despite the team not scoring the first goal of a game until the club bested Vancouver 3-2 in its sixth game of the season. The Wild have outscored their opponents 20-18 this season and if they can start to play with the lead, Minnesota could be a team to monitor in the Western Conference.
Minnesota Wild to win the Western Conference +900 via BetUS.
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