Western Conference Round 2 series odds: Oddsmakers split on outcome of Oilers-Golden Knights
Round 1 of the NHL playoffs is officially in the books after the Winnipeg Jets prevailed in double overtime over the St. Louis Blues on Sunday night, solidifying the Round 2 matchups in the Western Conference.
Let’s take a closer look at the two Western Conference matchups and their corresponding odds at bet365. Be sure to also check out our Eastern Conference Round 2 betting primer.
Winnipeg Jets (C1) vs. Dallas Stars (C2)
Stanley Cup Odds: Jets +1000, Stars +400
Series odds: Jets +140, Stars -165
Series schedule:
- Game 1: Stars @ Jets, Wednesday, May 7, 9:30 p.m. ET
- Game 2: Stars @ Jets, Friday, May 9, 9:30 p.m. ET
- Game 3: Jets @ Stars, Sunday, May 11, 4:30 p.m. ET
- Game 4: Jets @ Stars, Tuesday, May 13, 8:00 p.m. ET
- Game 5: Stars @ Jets, Thursday, May 15, time TBD
- Game 6: Jets @ Stars, Saturday, May 17, time TBD
- Game 7: Stars @ Jets, Monday, May 19, time TBD
The Jets, by virtue of winning the Presidents’ Trophy for claiming the best record in the regular season, will have home-ice advantage in this series and potentially beyond. Both teams went the distance in the first round, so having two days before this series begins on Wednesday will be highly beneficial for them. This will be the first time these two teams have ever met in the playoffs.
The Jets went 3-1-0 against the Stars during the regular season, holding Dallas to just five goals across those games. Kyle Connor netted four goals and added an assist in the season series, and goaltender Connor Hellebuyck was spectacular against Dallas, recording a 3-1-0 record with a 1.01 GAA and .965 SV%. Mason Marchment and Roope Hintz had two goals apiece for the Stars in the season series with Winnipeg, but goaltender Jake Oettinger struggled, recording a 3.73 GAA and .869 SV%.
Winnipeg does have serious concerns heading into this series, particularly in regard to injuries to two key players: Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrissey. Scheifele missed the final two games in the opening round with an undisclosed injury, while Morrissey left Game 7 after taking a hit against the boards. It’s unclear if the duo will be able to suit up on Wednesday, or at any point in this series, but their inclusions in the lineup are crucial to Winnipeg’s chances of pulling off an upset.
Perhaps even more troubling for Winnipeg is the poor play of Hellebuyck, who posted an ugly 3.85 GAA and .830 SV% in the opening round after an incredible regular season, which saw him record a 2.00 GAA and .925 SV%. He’s the runaway favorite for the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goaltender, but he’s historically struggled more in the postseason, recording a 2.98 GAA and .903 SV% across 52 career playoff games.
Pick: Stars series handicap -1.5 (+105)
Vegas Golden Knights (P1) vs. Edmonton Oilers (P3)
Stanley Cup odds: Oilers +450, Golden Knights +800
Series odds: Oilers -110, Golden Knights -110
Series schedule:
- Game 1: Oilers @ Golden Knights, Tuesday, May 6, 9:30 p.m. ET
- Game 2: Oilers @ Golden Knights, Thursday, May 8, 9:30 p.m. ET
- Game 3: Golden Knights @ Oilers, Saturday, May 10, 9 p.m. ET
- Game 4: Golden Knights @ Oilers, Monday, May 12, 9:30 p.m. ET
- Game 5: Oilers @ Golden Knights, Wednesday, May 14, time TBD
- Game 6: Golden Knights @ Oilers, Friday, May 16, time TBD
- Game 7: Oilers @ Golden Knights, Sunday, May 18, time TBD
It’s very interesting that bet365 has this series as a pick’em but also has Edmonton with way shorter (+450) odds over Vegas (+800) in its Stanley Cup outright futures. You’ll also find that some online sportsbooks have the Oilers as small series favorites, while others have the Golden Knights with slightly shorter odds. So, make sure you shop around to get the best price on the team you believe will advance in what should be the closest series of Round 2.
This will be the second time these two teams have clashed in the postseason in the past three seasons. They last met two years ago, with Vegas prevailing in six games in the second round on its way to winning the Stanley Cup. This season, the two teams split four regular-season meetings, with each team winning two games in regulation.
Bettors should expect plenty of offensive fireworks in this series, as the dynamic duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl exploded for 21 combined points in the first round against Los Angeles. Five of the six games in that high-scoring series played over the total, and the over went 4-2 in Vegas’s six-game series with Minnesota.
Both of these teams had issues in between the pipes in the opening round. Adin Hill posted an ugly .880 SV% and was pulled in a Game 3 loss, while Edmonton was forced to send Stuart Skinner to the bench early in its series with the Kings in favor of Calvin Pickard, who didn’t fare too much better with his .893 SV%. The team that can find some stability in the net will likely prevail in this series.
From an injury perspective, both teams will be missing key players. Pavel Dorofeyev is dealing with an undisclosed injury for Vegas, while Edmonton will be without defenseman Mattias Ekholm for the entire duration of the series.
Pick: Connor McDavid to record the most points in the series (+120)
Updated Conn Smythe Trophy odds (prior to play May 5)
| Player | Conn Smythe odds |
| Connor McDavid (EDM) | +900 |
| Mikko Rantanen (DAL) | +1100 |
| Leon Draisaitl (EDM) | +1400 |
| Sebastian Aho (CAR) | +1400 |
| Jack Eichel (VGK) | +1600 |
| Aleksander Barkov (FLA) | +1800 |
| Jake Oettinger (DAL) | +1800 |
| Sergei Bobrovsky (FLA) | +1800 |
| Matthew Tkachuk (FLA) | +2000 |
| Kyle Connor (WPG) | +2200 |
| Alex Ovechkin (WSH) | +2500 |
| Sam Reinhart (FLA) | +2500 |
| Auston Matthews (TOR) | +2800 |
| Connor Hellebuyck (WPG) | +2800 |
| Dylan Strome (WSH) | +2800 |