NHL Pacific Division Betting Preview: One Best Bet For Each Team
Football is back, and hockey is right around the corner! We are now one month away from the start of the 2023-24 NHL season, with training camps opening even sooner. Now is a great time to take a look at some NHL futures markets, and we’re doing just that with one best bet for every team in the Pacific Division.
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NHL Pacific Division Betting Preview: One Best Bet For Each Team
Vegas Golden Knights
To Win The Stanley Cup (+1300)
Yes, it is very, very hard to repeat as Stanley Cup champions in the NHL. However, the Vegas Golden Knights might be built to do it.
The reigning champs are returning most of their roster. They traded away Reilly Smith in favor of re-signing Ivan Barbashev, who seems to fit better on the top line.
Jack Eichel proved that he was healthy last year, and the Golden Knights also have great defensive depth. Hell, they may have even found something in Adin Hill between the pipes. If Hill turns out to be a fluke, they still have youngster Logan Thompson as well.
For full transparency, I don’t love this bet, but I’d rather take this than any regular-season bet, given the fact that the Knights have the depth to compete in the playoffs.
Edmonton Oilers
To Win The Pacific Division (+200)
The Oilers were nearly unstoppable last year after trading for Mattias Ekholm. He finally gave Edmonton the top-pair defensemen it needed, and it nearly paid immediate dividends.
Edmonton has one of the best top-six forward groups in the league, with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl down the middle. Of course, they can also be paired up when the Oilers need some offense.
On defense, Evan Bouchard looks poised to take a step forward after a very strong end of the season and playoffs. Ekholm has had a trickle-down effect on the blue line.
Vegas likely won’t be able to win this division again, and it may finally be Edmonton’s year. I don’t hate a bet on the Oilers to win the Stanley Cup (+1100) as well.
Los Angeles Kings
Anze Kopitar To Win Selke Trophy (+1200)
The race for the Selke Trophy is wide open with the retirement of Patrice Bergeron. Anze Kopitar has won it before and should be in the mix again this season.
Kopitar is getting up there in age, but he still finished fifth in voting last year and sixth the year prior. It may be time for a new Selke star to emerge, but I could see the voters crowning Kopitar one last time if the Kings have a good season — which I believe they will.
Calgary Flames
To Miss The Playoffs (+145)
Calgary is one misstep from going up in Flames. The new regime was able to hold onto most of the players who asked out, minus Tyler Toffoli, who they shipped to New Jersey.
The Flames are going to be a very volatile team this season. They could put it all together and make a run with a few pending free agents, but they could also crash and burn. I’ll lean that way at this price.
Seattle Kraken
To Win The Stanley Cup (+5000)
The Kraken broke through last season in a big way, as they were one win away from making the Stanley Cup final. Dave Hakstol coached his team to a 100-point season, and they were able to take down the Colorado Avalanche in the first round.
Seattle is a team that is built for the long haul. The Kraken have immense depth and great young talent, headlined by reigning Calder Trophy winner Matty Beniers.
The blue line depth is there as well, and it looked like Phillip Grubauer finally figured something out in the playoffs. Goaltending is going to be the big question for Seattle, but I like the Kraken to make the playoffs. Then you’ll be holding a 50/1 ticket on one of the West’s final four teams from last year.
Vancouver Canucks
To Make The Playoffs (+145)
The Canucks have a lot of talent and are entering the first full season under Rick Tocchet. Tocchet turned Vancouver around last season, and that should continue this year.
Elias Pettersson is a superstar up front and worth a look as a Hart Trophy longshot. Quinn Hughes is the same on the backend with the Norris Trophy. Thatcher Demko is better than he showed last year.
There are a few bets worth making on this Canucks team — Tocchet 20/1 for Jack Adams, anyone? — but the safest is for them to make the playoffs at +145.
Anaheim Ducks
John Gibson Regular Season Wins Under 18.5 (-115)
This bet should be a lock as long as the Ducks don’t trade Gibson.
Gibson hasn’t won more than 18 games since 2020, when the Ducks were decent. In fact, the Ducks only won 23 games in total last season, and you can expect Gibson to at least split some starts.
San Jose Sharks
Worst Record (+270)
The Sharks are in a full-on rebuild. They traded away Timo Meier last deadline and shipped out Erik Karlsson this summer.
Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl are all the Sharks really have left after finishing last season with 60 points. They lost six straight games to end the season, 15 of their final 18 and 20 of their final 24.
