The 2023-24 NHL season is just past the halfway point and the division races are truly heating up.

Winning a competitive division can be a huge leg up for the playoffs and as we've seen so far, the Pacific Division is proving to be exactly that. For so much of the first half, the Vegas Golden Knights dominated the division and looked like the team to beat. But, as we've seen now, things change, and the odds certainly reflect that change.

Let's dive into the Pacific Division odds per FanDuel Sportsbook.

NHL Pacific Division Odds

Vancouver Canucks (-135)

The run that the Vancouver Canucks have been on all season long has landed them the top spot in the Pacific Division with January coming to a close.

Through 47 games this season, the Canucks have the best record at 32-11-4 with 68 points to show for it. They've been the surprise of the season in many ways throughout the NHL after storming out of the gates earlier on. They've proven they're here to stay, however, as they have an impressive 9-1-1 record in the month of January, which has given them the eight-point lead that they have over Vancouver.

The Canucks have done a lot of things right on both offense and defense this season. They lead the NHL in goals per 60 minutes at 3.75, and they are only allowing 2.47 goals per 60 minutes -- which ranks as the secon- best in the league. Seemingly everything they've done this season has not only showed that they're a team to be fearful of in the playoffs, but they're very capable of taking home the Pacific Division crown after 82 games.

With an eight-point lead on the next best team and the current stretch that they're on, the Canucks being the heavy favorites only feel right with them hanging on unless they suffer a giant collapse over the second half.

Edmonton Oilers (+260)

Boy, how does the time change? After a month into the season, the Edmonton Oilers looked hopeless. Now, they're the hottest team in the NHL.

The Oilers found themselves at the bottom of the Pacific Division with a 3-9-1 record, which resulted in the firing of head coach Jay Woodcroft. Considering they made it to the second round of the playoffs last season and brought in high expectations this year that weren't met early, it wasn't much of a shock once it happened. As a result, Edmonton would make the call to replace him with Kris Knoblauch.

Under Knoblauch, the Oilers are 23-6-0 and have won 13 straight games. It's been complete turnaround, and the fact they've only played in 42 games this season, there's a real chance that they can eventually catch up to the Canucks, who currently sit 15 points ahead of them.

Led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers have one of the best offenses in hockey (65.29 Corsi per 60 minutes, 3.47 goals 60 minutes) and have also become a capable team on defense.

There are still the uncertainties at goalie to worry about if you're Edmonton, but at +260 odds and a surge that's included such an impressive winning streak, there's reason to believe that this team can get the Pacific Division crown for the first time.

Vegas Golden Knights (+700)

After dominating for so much of the early season, the Vegas Golden Knights find themselves in a rough spot.

The Golden Knights are 27-14-6, good for second in the Pacific Division with 60 points. All sounds fairly good until you look at how beat up their lineup is right now. The Golden Knights' injured reserve includes Jack Eichel, Adin Hill, Shea Theodore, William Karlsson, Ben Hutton, and William Carrier. That's just devastating, and it's left them as a near .500 team -- as we've seen with their 5-4-1 record over their last 10 games.

Until Vegas is able to get healthy, their chances of repeating to win the Pacific Division is unlikely. Offensively, the Golden Knights haven't been as impressive as their dominance showed with their 16th-ranked goals for per 60 minutes (3.12) and 18th-ranked Corsi per 60 minutes (60.13). The defense is still holding up (2.68 goals allowed per 60 minutes), which is how they get anywhere close to that top spot -- especially with how the Canucks are doing.

Seeing that the division hasn't had a back-to-back division winner since 2016-17, it's easy to believe that it won't be happening once again this year -- as the odds represent.

Los Angeles Kings (+900)

The Los Angeles Kings have slowed down since their earlier season success.

Los Angeles has a 22-13-9 record, and a lot of their problems have come over their last 15 games. Through those games, they have a 4-6-5 record, and it's left them looking for answers.

The offense has struggled to extreme levels as their once top ranked stats have fallen to the middle of the NHL. While they do still have the third-best Corsi per 60 minutes (67.26), their overall goals per 60 minutes has dropped to 3.13 -- good for 15th.

Simply put, the Kings are going in the wrong direction as the other three teams in the Pacific Division that are ahead of them. There's still time left to turn it around, but until they figure out their problems, it's likely to be too little too late. At +900 odds, they don't have history on their side -- even in the years they won the Stanley Cup -- with never having won this division.

For the Kings, it's just about getting to the playoffs rather than contending for the top seed out west.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.