After closing out their second-round series against the Nashville Predators with a decisive 5-1 victory in Game 7 on Thursday night, the Winnipeg Jets make their first-ever appearance in the Western Conference Final on Saturday as -145 home favourites on the NHL odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
The Jets’ Game 7 victory as a +136 underdog marked their third road victory of the series, and improved the club to 4-2 on the road during this post-season. However, with the two teams alternating between wins and losses throughout the series, Winnipeg is also winless in its past two on home ice going into Saturday night’s Golden Knights versus Jets betting matchup at MTS Centre.
Goal production has been a concern during the Jets’ recent struggles on home ice. The club failed to close out the series against the Predators in Game 6, dropping a 4-0 decision as -153 home chalk, and also came up short in a 2-1 loss as a -140 bet in Game 4. However, Winnipeg has otherwise been a reliable wager on home ice, winning 13 straight prior to its losses to Nashville, and has not dropped three in a row at MTS Centre since March 2017.
The Jets’ victory over Nashville, which led the NHL with 117 points, has also boosted them on the NHL futures, where they are pegged as -142 favourites on the NHL playoff series prices entering their showdown with Vegas, and as a +220 bet on the Stanley Cup odds.
The Golden Knights have also made history during their unprecedented run to the Western Conference Final. After holding Los Angeles to just three total goals during a four-game sweep of the Kings in the first round, Vegas again silenced doubters with an impressive victory over the San Jose Sharks in the second round.
That series was capped by a 3-0 win as a +133 road underdog in Game 6, and made the Golden Knights the first expansion team to ever advance to the Conference Final.
The cornerstone of the Golden Knights’ success can be found between the pipes. Marc-Andre Fleury has recorded four shutouts so far this spring, matching the total number he earned in 46 regular-season appearances, and has surrendered just 1.70 goals per game during the playoffs.
Vegas also took two of three from the Jets this season, including a 3-2 win in Winnipeg as a narrow +103 underdog on Feb. 1. However, the Golden Knights lag as +125 road underdogs in Saturday’s series opener, and also trail as +122 underdogs on the series prices.
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