Latest Golden Knights Betting Odds; Why They’re a Mistake

Perhaps it’s the rise of new Western Conference powers, the loss of Jonathan Marchessault, or bad sports bookmaking. However, the Vegas Golden Knights have slipped not into the second tier of 2025 Stanley Cup favorites but almost down to the junior varsity level.

Perhaps bettors have already forgotten 2023?

No, the Golden Knights are not the same team that marched through the competition, solving the vaunted Edmonton Oilers power play and holding Connor McDavid in check on their way to the Stanley Cup victory (and wonderfully alcohol-soaked victory parade).

Instead, they have added pieces that should carry them through the next handful of years. Out went Marchessault, the latest original Misfit to need moving fans, but GM Kelly McCrimmon acquired Tomas Hertl at the NHL trade deadline. In came top-pair defenseman Noah Hanifin. Consistent 20-goal scorer Viktor Olofsson is also in the mix, joining the forward stalwarts William Karlsson and Jack Eichel.

Yet the Golden Knights are going off around +1600 to win the Cup?

Even the tips from the experts at Mightytips, who also do a healthy amount of soccer prognosticating, put the Golden Knights behind the other Western Conference favorites. Mightytips might not be a household name, but their worldwide platform keeps everything in check.

So, did the Golden Knights window open and shut quickly?

Nope. Absolutely not.

Just one year removed from showing the hockey world he could skate with and compete well against McDavid, Jack Eichel has quickly become a forgotten player. Last season, Eichel cracked the 30-goal mark for the second time in his career, scoring 31 and registering 68 points in just 63 games. If you extrapolate that, it’s about 40 goals throughout a full season.

That’s a healthy total, and in the future, Eichel will have Hertl behind him in the lineup. Hertl recovered from back surgery and wasn’t necessarily 100% or settled with the Golden Knights after they acquired him last season. That should not be an issue this season.

To truly be competitive, the Golden Knights will need some help and for Fortuna to smile upon them. They will need offense and some career resurrections from Pavel Dorofeyev, Alexander Holtz, and winger Brendan Brisson to take another step forward. Just one breakout would be sufficient to create a solid top six, if not top nine, forwards crew to complement the already stingy defense, which perfectly fits coach Bruce Cassidy’s responsible system.

Oh, and you may have noticed the Golden Knights still play in the Fortress, an arena that provides more energy and home-ice advantage than almost any in the league. Where else can a ho-hum Tuesday night game become a raucous party complete with showgirls and howling fans emotionally engaged through the third period?

The West is rapidly catching the East, if not passing them, in terms of quality and depth of contenders. The Vancouver Canucks, the 2022 Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche, and the 2024 Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers highlight the field. Perhaps the talented Winnipeg Jets will put it together one day, and let’s not forget the July 1 spending spree of the Nashville Predators, who added Steven Stamkos, Marchessault, and Brady Skjei.

For now, let the oddsmakers give you the big odds. We think Colorado is primed for a return to the top, but McCrimmon has not been shy about addressing needs with blockbuster moves. We like the Golden Knight odds just where they are–a good value.