2020 Western Conference Odds Get Huge Shakeup; Vegas (+350) & Edmonton (+1700) Get Shorter While Sharks (+1300) Nose Dive

• The 2019-20 NHL season is not even a week old
• There’s been early betting shifts for who will be the best in the West already
• Who’s the best bet to win the Western Conference?

The paint hasn’t even dried on the ice for the start of the 2019-20 NHL campaign and already there has been considerable movement in the Western Conference title odds with the San Jose Sharks dropping considerably after a rough 0-3 start and the Edmonton Oilers rising following a pair of victories.

The leading team are the Vegas Golden Knights after they notched two victories in their first two games, despite their average odds dropping to +350 from +420.

The season is still so young so use caution in putting too much stock into the results in the early going. With that said, who is the best bet to win the Western Conference?

Odds to Win Western Conference

*Odds taken 10/08/19.

Time is Now to Back the Sharks

There’s no way to slice it, the Sharks winless start through three games is not good, losing twice to Vegas and Anaheim, giving up 12 goals and scoring just one in each of the three contests – but they lost four of their first six last season before righting the ship en route to an eventual berth in the Western Conference Final.

The Sharks have been outscored 12-3 over the first three games of the season.

There are at least three PLAYERS that have outscored San Jose as a team.

Absolutely pitiful.

— Brian Witt (@Wittnessed) October 6, 2019

This is a veteran team that has been there and done that several times, making the playoffs in 14 of the last 15 seasons, with an enviable group of impressive young players to augment their leadership core of Logan Couture, Brent Burns, Erik Karlsson and Joe Thornton.

Don’t panic and stay the course – the Sharks will be just fine. In that sense, if you’re inclined to think San Jose can make the Stanley Cup Final like they did in 2016, now is a great time to jump on them.

Don’t Be Fooled By the Oilers

Yes they have two otherwordly talents in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, along with (yet another) bench boss in Dave Tippett, so the Oilers should be much more competitive than in years past, but the roster simply doesn’t match up against the stacked Western Conference.

The 0-60 on @cmcdavid97 (Connor McDavid) is unparalleled. ?️ #NHLFaceOff

?: https://t.co/nZ9qwuI4xH @Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/KIfIybI8lh

— NHL (@NHL) October 3, 2019

They’re still a top heavy team that will have to rely on outscoring their problems on the blueline and a potentially shaky pair of netminders in Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen.

They won their first two games but they didn’t exactly defeat a murderers row – Vancouver and Los Angeles. Wait on Edmonton. They’ll hit some speed bumps throughout the season which will drop their odds to a better number.

Recent Western Conference Champions

Vegas Looking Strong in Early Going

Vegas has played two games and destroyed the Sharks in both of them, seeing their odds to win the West drop to +325.

While they’ll almost assuredly be better than last year’s 93 point club that benefited greatly from a weak Pacific division, it shouldn’t be considered a shoo-in that they’ll roll through the West this season like they did in 2018.

Vegas’ odds are just so short that it’s hard to commit to jumping on them just two games into the campaign. They’re without question talented enough to represent the West in the Cup Final, but I’d steer clear of them at that price.

2017 West champs in Nashville have a loaded roster that added Matt Duchene in the off-season and they were first in points in the West in 2018 and third last season. Their odds at +800 are simply too juicy to pass up, so plunk some cash down on them.

Pick: Nashville Predators to win West (+800)