Another season has started in the most popular hockey league. And although only a few rounds have been played, bookmakers and experts are summing up the first results today and predicting the favorites in the fight for the champion title. NHL teams are divided into two conferences: Western and Eastern. It should be understood that this division does not come from a geographical principle. Today we will talk about the teams in the Western Conference, claiming access to the playoffs.
According to statistics, hockey is one of the most popular sports among bookmaker customers. In terms of the number of bets made, it is second only to football. Today, every fan has an excellent opportunity not only to enjoy their favorite sport, but also to make profitable bets. Many bettors prefer to bet from their mobile gadgets. It is enough to go to the bookmaker’s website, yuklab olish android application, so as not to depend on a desktop computer.
Who’s Who in the West
Most of last year’s leaders in the West managed to keep their lineups, it is not surprising that analysts predict a successful performance for them this season. Moreover, today we can talk about the undisputed favorite and several teams that will claim first places in the divisions and the President’s Cup. According to analysts, the strongest five of the West now looks like this:
- Colorado Avalanche
- Saint Louis
- Calgary Flames
- Edmonton Oilers
- Minnesota Wild
Colorado Avalanche
The current owner of the Stanley Cup and the undisputed favorite to win this season. Avalanche’s only problem is the payroll. Colorado did not have enough money to keep its leader, Nazem Kadri. The club decided to sacrifice Nazem in order to re-sign a number of other key players. In particular, an 8-year contract ($49 million) was signed with Nichushkin, John Manson and Arturri Lehkonnen. At the start of this season, the “avalanche” won only four matches out of nine. However, so far this has not affected the betting forecasts in any way: 1 to 4.8 for the Colorado championship.
Saint Louis
After the victory of the Blues in 2019, the next two seasons, it seemed that the team had not stopped celebrating its success. However, the last championship showed that the character and thirst for new titles returned to St. Louis again. According to experts, the team’s only weak point is the goalkeeper. Jordan Binnington is often subject to emotions, which is why he is not stable. For other positions, the question does not arise: the defense is cemented by Paraiko, Falk and Krug, O’Reilly, Schenn, Tarasenko, Buchnevich can break through any defense. The Blues, according to analysts’ forecasts (1 to 3.8), will reach the playoffs where they can compete for reaching the final.
Calgary Flames
Losing to Edmonton (1:4) in the quarterfinals of last year’s championship was very hard on the club. Experienced coach Darryl Sutter finally got the ball rolling on defense, but problems arose on offense. There was work to be done. This season, Calgary started strong and with five wins in seven games, keeps at the top of the standings. The Lights will probably make it to the playoffs, the chances of winning the championship are not so high: 1 to 12.
Edmonton Oilers
Last year, Edmonton reached the semi-finals, where they were defeated (0:4) by the future champion. However, given the state of affairs in the club, this result can be considered satisfactory. According to experts, the oilmen are capable of reaching the playoffs, but they are unlikely to be able to repeat last year’s success: a quarter-final at most.
Minnesota Wild
“Savages” have not achieved high-profile victories in the league for a long time. Last year, the team stopped at the 1/8 stage, losing to St. Louis 2:4. In the off-season, nothing happened to the team that could indicate an intention to intervene in the fight for the championship title. However, since Minnesota has managed to keep key players, the bookies predict the appearance of “dragons” in the playoffs of the current draw.
