The Edmonton Oilers skated as slight underdogs on the road to Nashville Thursday night. The Oilers, who have gone 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, currently sit at -105 while the Predators come back as -115 favorites.
For the first three months of the NHL season, the noise around the Oilers was deafening. Edmonton went into October with Stanley Cup ambitions and after 36 games into the season the team had 18 wins, -6 goal difference and conceding 3.4 goals per game.
NHL Stanley Cup odds have the Oilers at +2800 to win the cup and the Predators at +4000.
Oilers vs. Predators Odds
Odds provided by BetMGM
Spread: Oilers +1.5 (-250) vs. Predators -1.5 (+200)
Moneyline: Oilers +100 vs. Predators -120
Overall: Over 6 (-120) | Under 6 (+100)
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Oilers vs. Predators Prediction
Media pressure on the Oilers peaked after a 6-0 loss to the Panthers on January 20. That loss was Edmonton’s seventh straight loss and 13th in the previous 15 games.
The first half of the season saw more than a few problems with the Oilers, but the team’s biggest mistake was scoring, where Mikko Koskinen and Mike Smith each had under .900 percent saves and a combined -12.56 goals above expectations had held . This style of goalkeeping has the potential to bring down any team, even one with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
It was clear the Oilers had to change something or risk losing another season during McDavid and Draisaitl’s heyday. Rather than try to improve on goal, general manager Ken Holland decided to make a move behind the bench, handing Dave Tippett his walking papers and catching up with Jay Woodcroft. The move was worth it.
Edmonton has posted a 19-8-3 record in Woodcroft’s first 30 games and is now firmly entrenched in a playoff spot, which looked precarious just six weeks ago.
While improved goalies certainly played a role in Edmonton’s turnaround, the Oilers have improved across the ice and now look a lot closer to the challenger we all expected at the start of the season.
In their last 15 games, the Oilers have maintained an expected goal average of 51.5% and have averaged 3.26 goals per 60 minutes in 5-on-5s. Most importantly, Smith has found some form in goal in his last 10 games, posting a .916 save ratio and a +5.27 GSAx in his last 10 games.
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With Smith (and Koskinen) in decent form, Edmonton becomes a much more palatable team from a betting standpoint. And it seems a good point to have the Oilers as slight underdogs against a Predators team that has been producing results despite some largely footpathic metrics in recent weeks.
Oilers vs. Predators Prediction: Edmonton Oilers -110 or Better (BetMGM)
https://nypost.com/2022/04/14/oilers-vs-predators-odds-prediction-thursday-nhl-bets/ Oilers vs. Predators Odds, Prediction: NHL betting on Thursday
