Colorado Avalanche and the Edmonton Oilers meet in Match 1 of the Western Conference Final at the Ball Arena this week, so we’re taking a look at the series and also throwing in our free betting picks for you.
As the betting favorites to win the 2022 Stanley Cup, it will come as no surprise to see that Colorado is also the favorite with the best Vegas NHL betting sites to beat the Edmonwton Oilers in the Conference Final.
The best of seven series starts on Tuesday, May 31st, with the Avalanche priced up at -250 to make it through to the Stanley Cup final. Edmonton Oilers are the outsiders, they are available at odds of +200.
The series schedule reads:-
With back-to-back home matches to get the series started, the Colorado Avalanche already has a distinct advantage. If, and I believe that’s a big IF, the series goes to a seventh and deciding match, the Avalanche will also have the home advantage for that fixture.
So already the odds are stacked in favor of the team who is the favorite in the odds to win the 2022 Stanley Cup.
So, how did we get here and what is the form of the two sides heading into the Conference final? Let’s take a closer look, starting with Colorado.
| 2022 Stanley Cup Winner Odds |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado Avalanche | +120 | +120 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | +250 | +225 |
| Edmonton Oilers | +550 | +600 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | +650 | +650 |
| New York Rangers | +1000 | +1200 |
Although a series scoreline of 4-2 might look like a comfortable win for Jared Bednar’s team, it doesn’t reflect the reality of the actual series.
St Louis proved to be tricky opponents for Colorado, winning twice at the Ball Arena, and only losing in overtime in the series opener – also in Colorado’s backyard.
The real damage in this series was done in matches three and four. Both at the Enterprise Centre, the home of the Blues.
Going into match three, the series was all square at one win apiece. The first match was decided in favor of the Avalanche in overtime, and the Blues thrashed Colorado 4-1 in match two.
At this point, St Louis was looking good, and for the first time in the playoffs, Colorado was on the back foot.
So what happened next at the Enterprise Centre must have felt like the proverbial kick in the teeth. Or even somewhere more painful, for the Blues. It also underlined why the Avalanche has been the betting favorites all season!
St Louis were dismantled in the third period. And what was for most of the match a close game, ended up looking like a good thrashing, as the hosts lost 5-2.
Furthermore, it was Avalanche goaltender, Darcy Kuemper who was the busier man between the sticks. Kuemper had 31 shots to deal with on the night. While the Blues’ two goaltenders, had 26 shots combined to deal with.
There were two ways to look at this. The Blues could be positive and believe they were a match for the Avalanche, or they could be negative and think no matter what we throw at them, they still beat us.
Sadly for the Blues it looks to have been the latter as the same pattern emerged in match 4. This time they lost 6-3, despite leading 1-0 at the end of the 1st Period.
The Blues did somehow win match 5, with a last-minute equalizer from Robert Thomas taking the match into overtime. But despite somehow keeping the series alive with an OT win, they ran out of luck in match 6, losing 3-2 at home – and with it the series.
The Edmonton Oilers won an odd series by four games to one over the Calgary Flames. The opening match of the series was bizarre, with the Flames winning it by nine goals to six.
From that moment, things went downhill for Calgary. The next three matches saw the Oilers take charge of the series. Wins of 5-3, 4-1, and 5-3 again put the Oilers 3-1 up and on the brink of the Conference final.
The Flames did make it difficult for the Oilers in match 6. Early in the 2nd Period, Darryl Sutter’s team was 2-0 up. Then in the blink of an eye, they were 3-2 down. The goals kept on flowing, and by the end of a crazy 2nd Period, the scoreline was a staggering 4-4.
There then followed a miracle – a goalless period, and the match headed into overtime.
The pressure was too much for the Flames, and Connor McDavid scored after 5 minutes and 3 seconds of the first overtime period, and the series was over – the Oilers were through.
As we’ve alluded to, the latest NHL betting odds favor a series win for the Colorado Avalanche.
Despite struggling at the Ball Arena against the Blues, I can see the Avalanche turning things around at home and rushing into a series lead before the teams head to Canada.
I’m sticking with the Avalanche and I can’t see them being stopped from making it to the Stanley Cup final. The Colorado Avalanche to beat the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference final is my betting pick.
