Vegas (+200) Still Favored to Win Pacific Division; Oilers See Odds Fall to +490

• The Golden Knights remain the favorites to win the Pacific Division
• The Sharks are the biggest risers in the latest odds, while the Oilers are falling
• Which team is the best bet to win the Pacific Division?

The Vegas Golden Knights remain the favorites to win the Pacific Division in the 2020 NHL division odds. Vegas saw their odds go from +220 to +200 on average over the last two weeks (Nov. 21 to Dec. 5).

San Jose have been the biggest risers in the latest odds, while the Oilers are trending in the opposite direction.

Which team is the best bet to win the Pacific Division?

2020 NHL Pacific Division Odds

Odds taken Dec. 5

Sharks Surging

The Sharks are the biggest risers in the latest division odds. They’ve gone from +1100 to +600 on average over the last two weeks thanks to a solid month of November in which they posted an 11-4-0 record.

November's win total. It goes to 11. 😎 pic.twitter.com/mQpE4vCnl9

— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) December 1, 2019

The Sharks have been a strong possession team this season and ranks 13th in the NHL with a 50.42 CF%.

Goaltending remains a concern for the Sharks, however, as both Martin Jones and Aaron Dell still have a save percentage under .900.

The Sharks have plenty of weapons on offense including Logan Couture, Evander Kane and Erik Karlsson, but they struggle to keep the puck out of the net. They’re allowing 3.31 goals-per-game and it’s hard to see that improving too much with the current goaltending tandem they have.

Coyotes Elite Defense

The Coyotes have been steadily rising in the Pacific Division odds due to their elite defensive play this season. They are only allowing 2.31 goals per game, which is second-best in the NHL. A big reason they’ve managed to keep the puck out if their net is the play of netminder Darcy Kuemper.

Kuemper is a front-runner in the Vezina odds thank to his stellar .936 save percentage and 1.97 GAA. While the Coyotes have a rock-sold defense, they struggle to score and rank in the bottom ten offensively. They’ve been rumored to be interested in a top six forward, which would certainly improve their division odds.

Report: Coyotes definitely interested in trading for Hall https://t.co/jpDRu9chkj pic.twitter.com/kDtn1yvllM

— theScore NHL (@theScoreNHL) December 6, 2019

If the Coyotes could land a player such as Taylor Hall, they would become a very scary team in the West. There’s no guarantee that Coyotes will win the Taylor Hall sweepstakes, however, so their lack of offensive firepower makes them a risky bet to win the division.

Injuries Hit Oilers

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl continue to lead the way for the Oilers, but the team is falling in the latest odds due to injuries and inconsistent play. Edmonton has gone from +310 to +490 on average over the last two weeks.

#Oilers fall 5-2 to the Sens. Homestand continues Friday against LA. #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/icHEUoHR3C

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) December 5, 2019

The Oilers have lost three of their last four games, including a 5-2 defeat at the hands of the lowly Senators in their most recent outing. The Oilers have lost two of their top supporting scorers in Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (hand) and Zack Kassian (back) to injury. That’s a problem considering the team doesn’t have many skilled players outside of their top-six.

McDavid and Draisaitl could carry this team to the playoffs, but team weaknesses are starting to show. The two superstars have 50-plus points, but no other player on the team has reached 20 points yet. Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen are also struggling in net, with Koskinen being pulled in a recent outing and Smith seeing his save percentage fall to .905 on the season.

Golden Knights Safest Bet

McDavid and Draisaitl have sky-high potential, but the Oilers are starting to show some of the issues that have plagued them in the past. The depth scoring is drying up and the goaltending isn’t as good as other teams in the division.

VEG has seven fewer points (same GP) today than EDM, but has a 21% better chance to make it.
Vegas projected to go 31-18-6 and Edmonton 25-23-7 rest of way. Currently VEG is 12-11-4 and EDM is 16-8-3. VEG has 27 home games left, EDM has 30.
Is this including last year data too? https://t.co/TnGG0QW1Kr

— Jason Gregor (@JasonGregor) November 28, 2019

The Golden Knights have a well-balanced roster that is strong in every position. William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault lead a lethal offense that has five 20-point scorers, while Malcolm Subban is proving to be a reliable backup to elite starting netminder Marc-Andre Fleury.

Vegas also has the 10th best Corsi (51.37) in the NHL and rank in the top half of the league in both offense and defense. There are certain reasons to be excited about the Oilers and Coyotes this season, but the Golden Knights have the most complete team and are the best bet right now.

Pick: Vegas Golden Knights (+200)