The Anaheim Ducks continue their Canadian road trip as they visit the Edmonton Oilers. It is time to continue our NHL odds series with a Ducks-Oilers prediction and pick.
The Ducks head into Thursday night at 15-17-4 on the year, which is seventh in the Pacific Division. They are traveling through Canada on a road trip, and before playing the Oilers on Friday, the Ducks will face the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night.
Meanwhile, the Oilers continue to move up the NHL power rankings. They are 22-12-3 on the year, which is good for third in the Pacific Division. They have won four of their last six games, and last time out, the Oilers faced the Utah Hockey Club. The Oilers opened the scoring on a Mattias Ekholm goal just 4:26 into the game. Utah would tie the game in the period, but in the second period, the Oilers would strike twice. They would add an empty net goal on their way to a 4-1 victory.
Here are the Ducks-Oilers NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Ducks-Oilers Odds
Anaheim Ducks: +1.5 (+120)
Moneyline: +300
Edmonton Oilers: -1.5 (-148)
Moneyline: -385
Over: 6.5 (-115)
Under: 6.5 (-105)
How To Watch Ducks vs Oilers
Time: 9:00 PM ET/ 6:00 PM PT
TV: ESPN+
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Why the Ducks Could Cover the Spread/Win
The top line is home to the three top producers offensively on the Ducks roster. It is led by Troy Terry, who leads the team in points, goals, and assists. He has 11 goals and 17 assists on the year, with four goals and three assists on the power play. Meanwhile, his linemate is Ryan Strome. Strome is second on the team in points, having seven goals and 12 assists this year. Rounding out the top line is Frank Vatrano, who is third on the team in points. He has nine goals and ten assists, with two goals and two assists on the power play.
Meanwhile, Cutter Gauither has been solid this year for the Ducks. He has five goals and 12 assists this year, with two goals and three assists on the power play. Further, Alex Killorn has seven goals and eight assists on the year. Finally, Mason McTavish has been solid, with five goals and 11 assists on the year.
With John Gibson expected to go on Thursday night, Lukas Dostal would be in the net for this one. He is 10-10-3 on the year with a 2.72 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage. He has been solid as of late, giving up three or fewer goals in each of his last four starts and having a save percentage above .910 in two of them.
Why the Oilers Could Cover the Spread/Win
Leon Draisaitl leads the team in points and goals this year. He has 27 goals and 29 assists this year, good for 56 points. Draisaitl also has seven goals and nine assists on the power play this year. He is currently playing on the second line for the Oilers, along with Vasil Podkolzin, who has three goals and 10 assists on the year. Further, the Oilers get solid offensive production from the blue line, with Evan Bouchard having seven goals and 21 assists on the year.
The top line for the Oilers is led by Connor McDavid. McDavid is second on the team in points and leads the team in assists. He has 15 goals and 29 assists on the year while having five goals and 11 assists on the power play. He is joined on the line by Zach Hyman. Hyman comes into the game with 13 goals and eight assists, good for fourth on the team in points. The line is rounded out by Connor Brown, who is sixth on the team in points with six goals and 12 assists.
Stuart Skinner is expected to be in goal for the Oilers in this one. He is 14-8-3 with a 2.81 goals-against average and a .897 save percentage. He also has been solid as of late. Skinner has given up two or fewer goals in three of his last four starts, going 3-0-1 in the last four games. Further, he has a save percentage above .920 in three of the last four.
Final Ducks-Oilers Prediction & Pick
The Oilers come into this NHL game as heavy favorites in terms of odds. First, the Ducks will be playing back-to-back road games. The Ducks have struggled to score this year, sitting with just 2.47 goals per game on the year. Meanwhile, the Oilers are 12th in the NHL in goals against per game. Further, they scored 3.27 goals per game. The Oilers have given up just 17 goals in the last six games, but five of them came against the Ducks the last time these two met. Do not expect the Ducks to repeat that performance in this one.
Final Ducks-Oilers Prediction & Pick: Oilers -1.5 (-148)