The NHL Western Conference Finals betting odds favor the Dallas Stars to represent the conference in the 2024 Stanley Cup finals. Dallas disposed of Colorado in six games in the second round of the playoffs, outscoring the Avs 22-15 in the process.
Edmonton, meanwhile, went the distance with Vancouver in the second round, dragging the series to a deciding seventh game before emerging victorious.
In this NHL West Finals predictions blog, I’ll share the latest odds, break down the matchup between The Stars and The Oilers, and offer my best bets on which Western Conference team will punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about betting on the NHL Western Conference Finals, and be sure to also stop by our 2024 NHL Eastern Conference Finals Odds page for analysis on the Florida Panthers vs. New York Rangers series as well.
NHL Western Conference Finals 2024 Odds
The NHL Western Conference Finals odds below are courtesy of BetUS, one of the top sites for NHL betting online.
Odds to Win the NHL West in 2024
- Dallas Stars (-130)
- Edmonton Oilers (+110)
BetUS predicts that the Dallas Stars will earn a trip to the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals. The team’s goals-by-committee approach bested Colorado’s high-profile offensive weapons over six games. Even though no Stars skaters lead any of the league’s major offensive categories, they are still the odds-on favorite to lift Lord Stanley’s Cup in June.
2024 Conn Smythe Award odds
You can bet on more NHL outcomes besides outright winners. For instance, Bovada has the following odds for who will win the Conn Smythe Trophy as their respective team’s most valuable player during the playoffs:
- Jake Oettinger (DAL) — +450
- Igor Shesterkin (NYR) — +450
- Aleksandar Barkov (FLA) — +600
- Matthew Tkachuk (FLA) — +800
- Connor McDavid (EDM) — +900
Other 2024 NHL Playoffs Conference Finals Bets
BetUS offers nine additional bets regarding the NHL Conference Finals. It sets the odds of either the Western or Eastern finals to go seven games at -120, and neither series to go seven games at -110. The sportsbook puts the odds of a sweep at +255, and no sweeps at -325.
You can check all lines for yourself, the sportsbook is constantly adding more wagers for the NHL Playoffs.
Dallas Stars — Offense by Committee
The Dallas Stars are a homegrown team that relies on building through the draft to get results. And so far, it’s working. Tied with Boston for the most players drafted and developed by the club, the Dallas Stars were too much for the high-powered offenses of The Colorado Avalanche and Las Vegas Knights.
Dallas’ stingy defense has afforded them the lowest goals-against average of any team still in contention, which they’ll need to maintain as they also have the second-lowest goals-for average of the remaining teams.
Dallas Stars Leading Scorers
Here are the top five Dallas Stars scorers at the time of this writing:
- Mikko Heiskanen — 13 pts (5G, 8A)
- Jason Robertson — 12 pts (3G, 9A)
- Wyatt Johnson — 11 pts (7G, 4A)
- Tyler Seguin — 8 pts (3G, 5A)
- Jamie Benn — 8 pts (3G, 5A)
Defenseman Mikko Heiskanen leads the Stars with 13 points in 13 games, while sophomore phenom Wyatt Johnson leads the team in goals. Oettinger has been solid between the pipes for Dallas, and of the remaining goalies, he boasts the second-highest save percentage.
It’s also worth noting he’s played 134 more minutes so far in the playoffs, over two full games more than the next leading goaltender.
Dallas coach Peter DeBoer has twice been to the Stanley Cup Finals, though he couldn’t secure Lord Stanley’s Cup on either occasion. He hopes the third time is the charm, but first, he’ll have to go through Connor McDavid and The Edmonton Oilers.
Edmonton Oilers — Are The Oilers Superstars Ready for Primetime?
The Edmonton Oilers have had more first-overall draft picks over the past 15 years than any other team, highlighted by the selection of Connor “The Next One” McDavid. Of the four first-overall picks the Oilers have made, only McDavid and center Ryan Nugent Hopkins remain.
Unfortunately for Oilers fans, this embarrassment of riches has yielded just a single conference finals loss in 2022.
Oilers Scoring Leads the Way
The 2024 Edmonton Oilers intend to bring home Canada’s first Stanley Cup victory since 1993. Their lethal offense is highlighted by a trio that led the playoffs in scoring at the time of this writing.
- Leon Draisaitl — 8G, 15A, 11GP
- Connor McDavid — 2G, 19A, 11GP
- Evan Bouchard — 5G, 13A, 11HP
All three players carry over a point-per-game average, with Draisaitl at more than two points per game and McDavid at just under two per game. Edmonton left-winger Zach Hyman also leads the playoffs with 10 goals in 11 games.
Edmonton has questions in the net, as starter Stuart Skinner gave way to backup Calvin Pickard in games four and five. Pickard split his two starts. Skinner returned to the net for game seven and did what he had to do to punch Edmonton’s ticket to the finals.
2024 NHL Western Conference Finals Predictions and Best Bets
My pick to win the NHL Western Conference Finals is the Dallas Stars. The series promises to be an electrifying match-up, as the two teams desperately want to end their Stanley Cup victory draughts. I would also take Bovada’s side bet and wager that the series goes the full seven games, as the two teams are pretty evenly matched on paper.
Dallas has had a few more days rest than Edmonton, though there’s something to be said about winning a seven-game series and then immediately carrying that momentum into the next series. The Stars will need to continue their stingy defense and goals-by-committee strategy if they want to get past the Oilers, a team that leads the playoffs in scoring.
But even with their high-powered offense, I like Dallas’ coach and goaltender more than the Oilers. I predict Dallas to beat Edmonton in seven games. Furthermore, I would wager that Dallas’ Jake Oettinger wins the Conn Smythe Trophy.
Where to Bet on the NHL West Finals?
BetUS is my top choice to bet on the NHL Western Conference Finals. Visit the sportsbook today to see all the available 2024 NHL Western Conference Finals bets.
Not only does it offer the ability to predict outright winners, but it also allows you to pick how long the series will go, and who will win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP for their respective team.
The bookmaker welcomes all new customers with a 100% first deposit bonus of up to $2,500 + 25% in chips for the casino section. You can use the extra cash on all NHL bets, including markets for the Western Conference Finals.
