Flames (+1200) Have Best Odds to Win Western Conference Among Canadian Teams; Jets Worst (+1900)

Is there a Canadian team that is worth a wager in the NHL Western Conference Odds to reach the Stanley Cup Final?

The Flames (+1200) have the best odds to win the Western Conference among Canadian teams, on average, while the Jets (+1900) have the worst.

Other sportsbooks see it a little differently, putting the Canucks (+1100) slightly ahead of Calgary, and the Jets (+2500) even further behind.

2020 Western Conference Odds

Odds taken Jan. 9

Flames Biggest Risers

The Flames odds of reaching the Stanley Cup Final have improved the most out of all Canadian teams in the Western Conference. Calgary (+1200) was at +1900, on average, on Nov. 27. The Flames won the Pacific Division last year but have regressed this year and are currently clinging on to the final Wild Card spot in the West.

WOW… Stanley Cup Champs putting it to the Flames.
5-0 Blues.

— John Shannon (@JShannonhl) November 22, 2019

Betting on the Flames is risky. As good as they were in the regular season last year, they got easily beaten by a superior Colorado team in the first round of the playoffs. Not much has changed for the team since last year, so it’s no guarantee they even make it out of the first round.

If the playoffs started today, the Flames would be facing the defending Stanley Cup Champions St. Louis Blues. The Flames are 0-2 against the Blues this season and were blown out (5-0) by STL in November. Considering the Flames are likely going to have to go through St.Louis or the immensely talented Avalanche again in the West, they aren’t a smart bet.

Oilers or Canucks Worth a Wager?

The Oilers (who are at +1500 on average) currently occupy the third spot in the Pacific Division with 51 points, but the Canucks are only three points back with two games in hand.

Edmonton has sky-high potential with superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but goaltending is a concern. Mike Smith has seen his save percentage drop to .897, while Mikko Koskinen has allowed nine goals in his last two starts and owns a mediocre .912 save percentage on the year. The Russian netminder has also never played in a playoff game.

The Canucks are an intriguing option, but their young core has no playoff experience and could get worn down by a heavier and more experienced squad. This talented Vancouver team could go on a run, but they would likely stumble when they ran into a powerhouse such as Vegas, St. Louis or Colorado.

Jets Offer Best Value

Winnipeg (+1900 on average) currently has the worst odds of any Canadian team in the West to reach the Stanley Cup Final, but they actually offer the best value. The Jets occupy the first Wild Card spot with 52 points and have a better goal differential (+3) than both the Flames and Oilers.

Walking into work after last night's win like… 😏 pic.twitter.com/2NIRt1uccO

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) January 9, 2020

Winnipeg lost in the first round of the playoffs last season to the eventual Cup champs but made it all the way to the Conference Final the year prior. A big reason to consider the Jets is their goaltending. A hot goalie can take a team very far in the playoffs, and Connor Hellebuyck (.919) has the best save percentage out of all goalies on Canadian teams in the West.

I’m still skeptical of the Jets due to their NHL-worst 38.90 High Danger Corsi-Percentage. They are surrendering way too many top-notch scoring chances and relying on their goalie to bail them out. A hot goalie is a recipe for playoff success, but it’s still risky formula to bet on.

Betting Advice

If you’re looking for a true longshot, the Jets could be worth a wager based on their 2018 run and the goaltending of Hellebuyck. But when you consider none of these Canadian teams in the West are locks to make the playoffs, betting on Vegas or Colorado (+400) is the way to go.

The Avalanche  and Golden Knights are two very complete teams and none of these four Canadian teams have shown enough to indicate they could take one of them down in a playoff round.