Golden Knights’ Pacific Division Odds Improve to -238, But Oilers Still in Striking Distance

• The Golden Knights have a three-point lead over the Oilers in the Pacific Division standings
• Vegas is being given -238 odds to win the division, while Edmonton is at +288
• Which team offers the best value to win the Pacific?

The latest Pacific Division odds have Vegas being listed as the runaway favorite. The Golden Knights have seen their odds improve from +175 to -238 on average since Feb. 20.

The Oilers are well within striking distance of Vegas yet are still being listed at +288 odds. Calgary has the next-best odds at +750.

Is there value betting on a team other than Vegas to capture the Pacific Division title?

2020 Pacific Division Odds

Odds taken Mar. 10

Knights Assert Their Dominance

Vegas is finally living up to their potential after an up-and-down season. Vegas is 11-2-0 since mid-February and lead the Pacific Division with 86 points. Sportsbooks have been impressed by the Golden Knights’ current run, listing them at -250 odds.

Vegas made some key moves at the trade deadline that have already been paying off nicely. New goalie addition Robin Lehner (3-0-0) is yet to lose since the trade from Chicago, while blueliner Alec Martinez has put up eight points in 10 games since coming over from Los Angeles.

Soon complete.. mask on the way:) pic.twitter.com/OHoq4xjuT3

— Robin Lehner (@RobinLehner) March 4, 2020

Advanced stats will tell you that Vegas has actually been one of the league’s best teams all season. They lead the league in both Corsi (54.76 CF%) and Expected Goals (56.07 xGF%), while also ranking second in High-Danger Corsi (55.72 HDCF%). Now that they’re getting strong goaltending from both Lehner and Marc-Andre Fleury, they’re truly starting to look like a Western Conference powerhouse.

Oilers Within Striking Distance 

Edmonton trails Vegas by just three points  in the standings with one game in hand. Edmonton has seen their odds improve from +333 to +288 on average since Feb. 20, but it’s still not like the leap Vegas made going from +175 to -238 in that same span.

The Oilers are playing well right now, but they aren’t dominating games consistently like Vegas has been doing. Edmonton is still being plagued by consistency issues, posting a 5-3-2 record in their last 10 games. Although the points may be there, they’ve actually been outshot a whopping 239-156 in their last six games.

"We're playing a really disconnected game… We've got our first practice in a long time tomorrow so hopefully we can fix some of those issues."

Coach Tipp assesses tonight's #Oilers loss in OT pic.twitter.com/ufLr8mrPwO

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) March 10, 2020

Edmonton has been carried by Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid this season, and the team’s underwhelming 47.80 CF% highlights their defensive issues. It’s not going to get much easier for the Oilers, as Power Rankings Guru lists Edmonton with the 10th-hardest schedule remaining, while Vegas has the 19th most difficult remaining schedule.

Do Flames/ Canucks Offer Value?

Edmonton is the closest team to Vegas in the divisional standings, but Calgary is only seven points back with one game in hand while Vancouver is 10 points back with three games in hand.

The Flames have the easiest remaining schedule out of any team in the division with eight of their last 12 games being at home. While this may seem to indicate value, it’s not actually much of an advantage considering Calgary has been one of the NHL’s worst teams on home ice this season, posting a 16-13-4 record.

Same old, same old at home. Soft first goal on Talbot, now a costly turnover — this one by Backlund — and #Flames are down 2-0 and chasing the game yet again.

— Darren Haynes (@DarrenWHaynes) March 5, 2020

The Canucks are an intriguing longshot considering their odds have gone from +217 to +1800 on average since Feb. 20. Their games in hand are a nice bonus, but it’s no sure-fire bet Vancouver even makes the playoffs when you consider that all but four of their remaining 14 games are against teams in the playoff race. I’m also hesitant to bet on Vancouver with their MVP goaltender Jacob Markstrom injured and Vegas having two strong healthy netminders.

Analysis

Vegas has been one of the best teams in the NHL all season, and they’re finally getting the results to show for it. The addition of goaltender Robin Lehner makes their path to securing a division title the best it’s ever been.

Edmonton is within reach, but Vegas has the easier remaining schedule and has been putting up much better advanced stats. Bet on the Golden Knights before their odds get even shorter.

Pick: Vegas Golden Knights (-250)