Mammoth vs Golden Knights Round 1 Odds & Series Prediction

• The Golden Knights opened as series favorites over the Mammoth for their Round 1 matchup
• Utah makes its playoff debut as the Mammoth after relocating from Arizona last season
• Scroll down for my early Mammoth vs Golden Knights prediction, opening Round 1 odds and key matchups

One of the most intriguing Round 1 matchups in the West pits a proven playoff monster against a franchise still writing its opening chapter. The Utah Mammoth will make their playoff debut in their new market after relocating from Arizona last season.

Their reward is a date with the Pacific Division champion Vegas Golden Knights, a team that knows its way around the postseason.

DraftKings has Vegas as the series favorite, though the line is tighter than you might expect. Below is my breakdown of the opening Mammoth vs Golden Knights odds, the key matchups and my early lean for Round 1.

Mammoth vs Golden Knights Round 1 Odds

Vegas’s -190 moneyline translates to a 65.5% implied probability to advance, while Utah’s +155 price gives the Mammoth a 39.2% implied chance to pull the upset. The spread market has Vegas -1.5 available at +115, which is an interesting price if you’re confident the Knights close this out in six games or fewer.

For the rest of the confirmed first-round matchups, check out our NHL playoff bracket.

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Mammoth vs Golden Knights Key Matchup Breakdown

The 2023 Cup champions are still a dangerous group. Jack Eichel is the best player in this series and led Vegas with 88 points (27 goals, 61 assists) in 73 games. Mitch Marner (79 pts), a healthy Mark Stone (73 pts) and sniper Pavel Dorofeyev (37 goals) give the Knights four legit top-end weapons.

Utah isn’t here by accident, though. Clayton Keller quietly put up 86 points to anchor the attack, and 22-year-old Dylan Guenther broke out with 40 goals. Nick Schmaltz chipped in 74 points of his own.

The Mammoth also outscored Vegas at five-on-five during the regular season (199 to 188) and took the season series 2-1, including a 5-1 win in November and a 4-0 shutout at T-Mobile Arena on March 19.

Mammoth vs Golden Knights Team Comparison

The biggest edge for Utah might be in net. Karel Vejmelka was a workhorse this season, going 38-20-3 with a .897 save percentage across 63 appearances.

Vegas rotated three goalies all year, but Carter Hart has been the hot hand down the stretch at 5-0-0 since returning from a lower-body injury. Whether new head coach John Tortorella rolls with Hart or a more experienced option is a real Game 1 question mark.

Special teams tilt hard in Vegas’s favor, though. Vegas owns the better power play at 24.7%, with Dorofeyev (20 PPG), Hertl (13 PPG) and Stone (9 PPG) all capable of burning Utah if the Mammoth get sloppy. Utah’s penalty kill at 85.4% is solid, but it’ll need to be sharp all series long.

Early Mammoth vs Golden Knights Prediction

• Mammoth +1.5 (-135)

For my Mammoth vs Golden Knights prediction, I’m on Utah +1.5 at -135. Vegas has the star power and home ice after winning the Pacific, but the numbers don’t really match the gap in the moneyline. Utah actually had the better goal differential this season (+41 vs +30) and took the season series 2-1.

The Tortorella effect is real — Vegas went 7-0-1 under its new coach down the stretch — but this is still a team that won just 39 games and needed a coaching change to save its season. Utah played Vegas tough all year with its current roster, and John Tortorella has only had a handful of games to install his system.

Vejmelka gives the Mammoth a real chance to drag this out to a Game 7 at minimum, which is all I need to cash Utah +1.5. I’ll buy that extra game of margin at -135.