We\u2019re a few weeks away from a Stanley Cup playoffs that looks to be as wide open as it\u2019s been in years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Without the would-be dynasty of the Florida Panthers, who are almost certainly missing the playoffs this season, a whole host of teams can talk themselves into 2026 being their year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the Western Conference, though, it looks like a lot of last year\u2019s playoff teams will be returning. The lone exception to that looks to be the Winnipeg Jets, who are currently third from the bottom in the Central Division.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The usual titans of the West will be duking it out to see who gets a chance to face off against an Eastern Conference opponent that\u2019ll probably be a little weaker than recent years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a look at who has the best odds to be that Stanley Cup Finals representative for the West, as of March 24.\u00a0<\/p>\n
NHL Western Conference Odds<\/p>\n
This table is currently unavailable. Please try again later.<\/p>\n
Who\u2019s Favored to Win the Western Conference?
\nColorado Avalanche (+160)<\/p>\n
The Colorado Avalanche are currently favored to win the Western Conference and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. They\u2019re also the favorites to win the Stanley Cup, with their odds set at +290.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Colorado has a league-best 46-13-10 record with a league-leading 102 team points. They became the first team to cross the 100-point threshold last Friday when they beat the Blackhawks 4-1 in Chicago.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Avalanche, who are likely to finish with the Presidents\u2019 Trophy, will have a very easy path towards a Stanley Cup Final berth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If the playoffs began with today\u2019s standings, Colorado would face Nashville in the first round. The Predators have a 33-28-9 record and 75 team points. They\u2019ve stuck around a little bit, fending off Pacific Division Wild Card contenders like the Kings, Kraken, and Sharks. But Nashville feels like a team that would be easy work for the Avalanche.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The only problem for Colorado in that first round is if a team like San Jose, for example, goes on a run to make that final Wild Card spot.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In that scenario, the Sharks would be playing playoff-level hockey in the final weeks of the season to get in, while the Avalanche would likely be resting players with home-ice already clinched. This is often what triggers those Presidents\u2019 Trophy curse moments: a battle-tested and hungry team catches a contender sleeping.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If the Avalanche make it out of the first round, their toughest battle likely comes in the second round, where they\u2019ll face off against the winner of a likely Stars vs Wild series. This series could almost be more difficult for Colorado to win than a Western Conference Finals series against a weaker Pacific Division opponent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This regular season has shown that the Avalanche are vulnerable to either of those two Central Division teams. In their four games against Minnesota, Colorado has gone 2-1-1. And in the yet-to-be-finished season series against Dallas, they\u2019ve lost in overtime twice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s hard to pick which team would win in a hypothetical series between the Avalanche and the Wild or the Avalanche and the Stars. But one prediction I will make is that whoever wins that second-round series wins the Stanley Cup.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Place NHL Bets at BetMGM<\/p>\n
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