NHL Futures: Best Bets to Win the Western Conference (2020)
We know the final eight teams in the Western Conference, which means now is the perfect time to take a look at who you should be placing futures bets on to take home the conference title.
The West is loaded with surprises. The Blackhawks pulled off the 12/5 upset over the Edmonton Oilers and the Coyotes pulled off the 11/6 upset over the Nashville Predators. That means that despite being just the seventh and eighth-best teams coming into the qualifying rounds, the Vancouver Canucks and the Calgary Flames will be the fourth and fifth seeds, respectively.
The first round of the playoffs was insane in the West, there is no denying it. An argument could be made for every single one of these teams to advance to the Stanley Cup Final. The East feels simpler, the West feels like it’s set up for pure chaos. Let’s take a look at three teams that offer nice respectable payouts. Only one is a favorite, the other two are longer shots.
Check out our consensus odds to win the NHL Western Conference >>
Colorado Avalanche (+275)
The Avalanche battled all game long against the Vegas Golden Knights, coming back from a one-goal deficit three different times, to force overtime. Ultimately they lost, and will now be the number two seed, but that may not be the worst thing. They will now take on the Coyotes, rather than having to face the red hot Blackhawks who seem like they can score every time down the ice. Plus, in the playoffs, there are no more strange overtime rules.
With Nathan MacKinnon a threat to score at any time, this team can win four out of seven against anyone in the entire league. Getting a fair price on this team when they won’t have to take on the Golden Knights until the conference finals at the earliest, feels too good to be true.
Vancouver Canucks (+1000)
No team benefits more from the advancement of the Blackhawks and the Coyotes than the Canucks. Rather than having to play the second-best team in the West, they get to take on the fourth-best team, in what will be listed as the 4 vs 5 matchup of the playoffs, despite Vancouver coming in as the seventh seed.
Think about it this way. The Canucks will be taking on either the Stars or Blues in the first round of the playoffs. The reason they will have gotten the fourth seed will be because they lost every single game in the round-robin. Yes, those games were against the best three teams in the entire bracket, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that that team has yet to win a game.
Meanwhile, Vancouver earned their way into this playoff. They had to take down the Wild in a best-of-five series and did so in incredibly dramatic fashion. Game 4 saw them always playing from behind, before finally scoring the game-tying goal late in the third period, before the game-winning goal 11 seconds into overtime. The fact is, the Canucks are battle-tested. They’ve gone into the locker room as winners three times now. The same can’t be said of their first-round opponent.
What happens beyond this first round? It’s hard to say. Reseeding is going to take place throughout, meaning Vancouver is going to have a tough matchup in round 2 no matter what happens. But you’re looking at a team that thinks they can win it all right now, and at this price, they’re worth taking a very serious look at.
Chicago Blackhawks (+1700)
I couldn’t help myself. I just couldn’t. Aside from the Golden Knights, the Blackhawks are far and away the best offensive team at this moment in the Western Conference. Obviously, other teams have more talent, but they were able to make the Oilers look pedestrian all series long, and with a list of players who have been here before, it’s impossible to count them out.
Of course, they’re going to need better defensive play if they expect to actually make a serious run, but Corey Crawford was incredible in the series-clinching game 5. Look at this number and give me one good reason why I shouldn’t take them. Maybe because they have to take on Vegas in the first round, but that matchup is arguably more favorable for the Blackhawks than had they had to take on the Avalanche.
This is a team that thinks they can play with anyone. I would not be surprised at all if they end up in a situation where they’re playing in the second-round and suddenly being viewed as a serious contender for the Stanley Cup.
The bubble is weird. Anything can truly happen. Why not have a 12 seed win the whole thing?
View the top deposit bonuses and promo codes for each sportsbook >>
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RadioPublic | Breaker | Castbox | Pocket Casts
Whether you’re new to sports betting or a betting pro, our Sports Betting Strategy and Advice page is for you. You can get started with our 101 section — including 10 Sports Betting Tips for Beginners — or head to more advanced strategy — like Key Numbers When Betting Against the Spread — to learn more.
Phil Wood is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Phil, check out his archive and follow him @Phil_Wood_Jr.