Oilers Pacific Division Odds Jump from +900 to +340 After 7-2-1 Start

• The Edmonton Oilers are at the top of the standings in the Pacific Division
• The Oilers have won seven of their first 10 games
• Edmonton started well last season too before fading to finish with the second-worst point total in the Western Conference

The Edmonton Oilers finished with the second-fewest amount of points in the Western Conference last season, so needless to say, not much was expected of them heading into the 2019-20 campaign. However, after winning seven of their first 10 games, their odds to win the Pacific Division have shot up. Are they worth a bet or is this early fool’s gold?

2019 Odds to Win NHL Pacific Division

*Odds taken October 24, 2019. 

Oilers Impress Early On

The Oil Can entered the season with a regular season point total of just 85.5, which means they weren’t even expected to be a playoff team. That explains why their NHL Division odds were at +900.  As we enter Thursday’s action, though, the Oilers are atop the division and are now priced at an average of +340.

A lot has gone right for the Oilers with the most notable change coming between the pipes. Their goaltenders combined for a 3.30 GAA last season along with a lousy .896 save percentage. Those were both among the worst in the NHL. This season, they’re at 2.30 and .926, which are huge improvements.

The Oilers also needed to find some depth in terms of scoring as they had two players (Connor McDavid and Leon Draisatl) with 105 points or more, but then the next two players were at 69 and 41. No other player on the team had more than 38 points. So far this season, McDavid and Draisatl again lead the way but seven players have six points or more.

Can the Oilers Sustain This?

While everyone in Edmonton is uber excited, it’s important to temper the expectations. Remember that the Oilers had a solid start last season and had a record of 8-4-1 after their first 13 games and 17-12-2 after their first 31. They ended up finishing the year with just 18 wins in their final 51 games.

What’s the Best Bet?

Hopefully, the Oilers are a different team than last year’s flash-in-the-pan and have learned their lessons, but we’re not exactly sure if that’s the case. What’s most likely here is that while the Oilers won’t be a dumpster fire like they were a season ago, they also won’t be elite. In other words, they’ll finish somewhere in the middle of the pack.

It’s also important to note the trends as the Oilers have now lost two in a row after winning seven of their first eight. While the Pacific Division is still wide-open, I’m more interested in betting a proven team like the Vegas Golden Knights here. You’re getting a bit of value on the pull back and I trust them more than any of the other surprise teams at the top of the standings right now.