We’re about halfway into the opening round of the 2023 NHL playoffs — the perfect time to make updated picks on the 2023 Western Conference champion. There are two teams we have our money on, and we’re giving them to you free of cost if you keep on reading.
We’ll make our choices momentarily, but let’s look at the latest NHL odds. As it stands, the following teams are frontrunners to win the West, per oddsmakers:
The West feels like a much bigger crapshoot compared to the Eastern Conference. No team has separated themselves as the frontrunner for the better part of the whole season. Therefore, we must make multiple bets on the Western Conference championship winner. No team gives us enough confidence to “go all in”.
Plus, did you see the odds we listed above? You’re getting long odds across the board. The frontrunner, Colorado, is as high as +240 to win out. With lines like those, you can bet on at least two teams and still end up deep in the green if one pans out. With that said, here are the two teams we’re putting money on:
| Team |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | +240 | +240 | +240 |
| Edmonton | +340 | +340 | +340 |
| Vegas | +550 | +550 | +550 |
| Dallas | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| Minnesota | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| Los Angeles | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
The Avs had looked noticeably worse in 2022-23 than a year ago when they steamrolled into a Stanley Cup champion (they went 16-4 in the postseason). Some of it was a mountain of injuries the team sustained, but some felt natural complacency post-title win. However, the Avalanche are still the team to beat out West.
Our confidence stills from the roster. Most of the title-winning team is back, sans Nazem Kadri and Andre Burakovsky. Colorado’s offense hasn’t been as lethal without the two, but that’s also because most of its scoring stars — Cale Makar, and Nathan MacKinnon, to name a few — have missed playing time this campaign. But as it stands, most of the team is in the lineup, albeit maybe banged up (but who isn’t this time of the year).
If there is one area we believe the Avalanche improved from a year ago, it’s in the net. Alexandar Georgiev has taken Darcy Kuemper’s place for the better. Kuemper allowed 4.27 goals above average and with a save percentage of 90.2% during last year’s title run — which Colorado’s high-powered offense was able to overcome. We don’t suspect Georgiev will struggle anywhere near that level.
The Avs lost Game 1 of the first round to the Kraken. However, they’ve bounced back in true championship form with 3-2 and 6-4 wins. Championship experience is crucial in those back-against-the-wall moments, and Colorado has it more than any other team out West.
Going back-to-back isn’t as easy as Tampa and Pittsburgh have made it look in recent memory. But with a wide-open Western Conference, Colorado has a real shot at at least making the Finals again. Take this bet with confidence.
What we will say about the Western Conference is other teams have closed the gap on the Avalanche. Golden Knights, Kings, and Oilers are better than a year ago. Among that group, we have the most confidence in betting on Edmonton.
The obvious thing to say about the Oilers is that they have the two best scorers in the league on one team — Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The former might win the Hart Trophy unanimously after a 153-point tally this season. This is a career-high by 30 points for McDavid, which shows you he could be an even bigger factor this playoff run.
Of course, critics will say something: “Draisaitl and McDavid have been there for years now and haven’t won a conference; why would they now?” Here’s why: the emergence of Evander Kane. This is no longer a two-man team. He chipped in 28 points on only 16 games played. Kane is healthy now, and we expect him to be an X-factor.
Edmonton is deadlocked with the Kings 2-2 in the first round, but we’re not deterred. If anything, this deficit makes them a better pick because it’s lengthened their odds. The Oilers are a great backup bet to go with the trusty favorites in the Avalanche.
For the next two months, bettors will have ample opportunities to bet on the 2023 NHL playoffs. Every single matchup will offer the full gamut of odds, plus there are special bets like the conference futures wager we covered. To get all these lines under one roof, you must hit one of the popular NHL betting sites. These sites also offer the odds at value-rich prices right on par with Las Vegas-based sportsbooks.
Click around the table below to get started immediately and lock in our bets. You can verify how safe betting sites are by reading our reviews. We’ve written ones for each site you see featured, and they all rated high in the trustworthiness department.
