NHL Western Conference Final Betting Preview: Golden Knights vs. Avalanche

NHL Western Conference Final Odds

Odds for the Western Conference Final are current as of Monday, May 19, and come from the industry’s best offshore sportsbooks.

Series Winner

• Golden Knights (+231)
• Avalanche (-282)

Unsurprisingly, the Avalanche opened as heavy favorites to win the series. Colorado has been the most dominant team in hockey all year, and this group has remained elite in the postseason. Las Vegas lost the season series 2-1.

Game 1 Odds – Wednesday, May 20 at 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)

• Puck Line: Golden Knights +1.5 (-160) / Avalanche -1.5 (+140)
• Moneyline: Golden Knights (+166) / Avalanche (-190)
• Total: Over 6 (-125) / Under 6 (+109)

The Golden Knights are favored to cover the puck line, suggesting that the oddsmakers at Bovada expect a fairly close contest. The Avalanche are still installed as -190 moneyline favorites, though. The over is also slightly favored at six goals.

Full Western Conference Final Schedule

The Western Conference Final begins Wednesday in Denver. All times Eastern.

• Game 1: Golden Knights @ Avalanche – Wednesday, May 20 at 8 p.m. (ESPN)
• Game 2: Golden Knights @ Avalanche – Friday, May 22 at 8 p.m. (ESPN)
• Game 3: Avalanche @ Golden Knights – Sunday, May 24 at 8 p.m. (ESPN) 
• Game 4: Avalanche @ Golden Knights – Tuesday, May 26 at 9 p.m. (ESPN)
• *Game 5: Golden Knights @ Avalanche – Thursday, May 28 at 8 p.m. (ESPN)
• *Game 6: Avalanche @ Golden Knights – Saturday, May 30 at 8 p.m. (ABC)
• *Game 7: Golden Knights @ Avalanche – Monday, June 1 at 8 p.m. (ESPN)

Colorado secured home ice during the regular season and thus gets the privilege of hosting four out of a potential seven games. The Avalanche will play Games 1, 2, 5, and 7 in front of their home crowd. Las Vegas gets Games 3, 4, and 6. The Golden Knights can reverse the advantage should they steal one of the first two tilts.

How the Golden Knights Got Here

Vegas needed six games to get by the upstart Utah Mammoth in the opening round, with two of the victories coming in overtime (including one in double overtime). The Golden Knights have given up more goals than they would like, but the offense is humming.

The second round brought much of the same. Vegas took down the Anaheim Ducks 4-2, with another win via overtime. The Golden Knights gave up just one goal each in the series opener and closer, but the Ducks found their groove in the middle of the series.

Jack Eichel has gotten just one of his 35 shots on goal to score, but he’s the league leader with 14 playoff assists over 12 games. Mitch Marner, who’s logged an NHL-best 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists), has also been a focal point of the offense.

Golden Knights Playoffs Leaders

• Points: Mitch Marner – 18
• Goals: Pavel Dorofeyev – 9
• Assists: Jack Eichel – 14
• Shots on Goal: Jack Eichel – 35
• Saves: Carter Hart – 321

How the Avalanche Got Here

Things continue to go Colorado’s way. It’s been an almost perfect postseason: The Avalanche are 8-1 and scored as many as nine goals in a single game, but a rare no-show performance resulted in a 5-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild.

Colorado’s regular season proved that this group could win anywhere, and that’s held in the playoffs. The Avalanche are 5-0 at home and 3-1 on the road. They’re still winning big, too: Five of their eight wins have come by two goals or more.

Hart finalist Nathan MacKinnon has picked up from where he left off in the regular season, notching seven goals and six assists through his first nine playoff games. Martin Nečas leads the way with 10 assists, while Scott Wedgewood is giving up a touch over two goals per game.

Avalanche Playoffs Leaders

• Points: Nathan MacKinnon – 13
• Goals: Nathan MacKinnon – 7
• Assists: Martin Nečas – 10
• Shots on Goal: Nathan MacKinnon – 36
• Saves: Scott Wedgewood – 171

NHL Western Conference Final Prediction

I’d love to say that we’ll see a competitive, lengthy series, but I haven’t seen enough from the Golden Knights to prove that they can truly challenge the Avalanche for the Western Conference crown. 

Vegas makes too many costly mistakes to hang around. Colorado won’t give this group the leeway that it had against the Mammoth and Ducks, and the goals won’t come nearly as easily. If Hart struggles in goal, this will be over fast.

Verdict: Avalanche in 5 games

Best Golden Knights vs. Avalanche Series Prop Bets

Prop betting markets are deep for the Western Conference Final. These are two of the best you can make right now. 

Avalanche -1.5 Series Spread (-130)

The Avs swept the Los Angeles Kings and looked comfortable throughout their series with the Minnesota Wild. And while the regular season only counts for so much this time of year, it’s worth noting that Colorado went 2-1 against Vegas in 2025-26.

A bet on the Avalanche to cover as 1.5-game favorites means they would need to win the series in six games or fewer. That’s not to say Colorado needs to blow out its opponent – it just needs to do enough to end it fairly quickly.

Avalanche Win Game 1 and Series (-110)

I’m comfortable with this bet at near even money. The Golden Knights have already dropped two road games this postseason, and they’re heading into one of the toughest environments in the NHL. The Avs are big favorites in Game 1 for a reason.

Home teams that win Game 1 go on to take the series roughly 78 percent of the time, so if you’re already leaning toward Colorado for the opener, you might as well go for the shorter odds and bet this prop as well.