Who's ready for some hockey on your Saturday night? In this weekend thriller, the Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers will face off on the rink to get an early edge in the Western Conference standings. It's about that time to check out our NHL odds series where we make out Golden Knights-Oilers prediction and pick.

Salvaging a three-game home stand by defeating the Arizona Coyotes 4-1, the Golden Knights' overall record through 18 games played sits at a stupendous 14-4, which is the top mark in the Pacific Division. Also snapping a two-game losing streak with the victory, the Knights will head out on the road where they have accumulated a tremendous 8-1 record. With the most points in the entire conference, can Vegas go on another stretch of wins starting tonight in Edmonton?

Unlike Vegas, Edmonton is certainly off to a slower start than they had expected. Barely above .500 at 9-8, the Oilers could use a great effort against a team like the Golden Knights to kickstart their season. Can the Oilers make magic happen in front of their home fans?

Here are the Golden Knights-Oilers NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel

NHL Odds: Golden Knights-Oilers Odds

Vegas Golden Knights: +0.5 (-114)

Edmonton Oilers: -0.5 (-108)

Why The Golden Knights Could Cover The Spread

Although it may be stating the obvious, the biggest reason that Vegas could end up covering the spread will be in large part due to how dominant the Golden Knights have been thus far. In fact, only the Boston Bruins have accumulated as many points as the Knights have. This type of dominance should be credited by a mixture of spectacular goaltending and an absolute dynamic offense. Simply put, Vegas uses many ways to put themselves on top in most games they play.

In order to cover the spread, it will be up to the Knights' top point-getter in Jack Eichel, who has provided Vegas with the right amount of spark to transform this team from a pretender into a contender seemingly overnight. Spending his first seasons in Buffalo and missing a majority of his first season in the Sin City injured, a fully-healthy Eichel certainly makes this squad way more dangerous come playoff time. After recording a point versus the Coyotes, Eichel is public-enemy number one for the Oilers.

Of course, another big reason for Vegas to cover the spread later Saturday night is Adin Hill, who has been steady in net for the most part. On the season, Hill possesses a .920 save percentage and is due for a more productive appearance. Hill has allowed seven goals in the his previous two games but is still tied within the top ten of qualifying goalies in goals against. No question, Hill will need to be on his A game against a very swift Edmonton offensive assault.

Why The Oilers Could Cover The Spread

On paper, the Oilers may not appear to have an overwhelming chance to come out victorious, but don't tell that to a roster that remains confident in their ability to be one of the top teams in the entire league. However, coming off of a tough loss to the Los Angeles Kings by a score of 3-1, there is plenty of things to clean up if covering the spread is to become a reality.

At first glance, the Oilers' shortcomings haven't been about a lack of talent on the ice, but instead inconsistency. On their way to a 49-27-6 record that resulted in a fifth-place finish out West, it was the knack to come away with timely plays that benefited them. Only a few months later and thus far this season, there seems to be a disconnect between all of the Edmonton lines.

Nevertheless, the season is still extremely young and there is plenty of time to right their wrongs. In the showdown in Edmonton that could end up being an offensive shootout, the Oilers' best chance at covering may be to just try and outscore Vegas. Clearly, Edmonton's defense has been stagnant and uninspiring. Averaging 3.53 goals per game, finding ways to generate scoring opportunities shouldn't be an issue especially at Rogers Place.

Final Golden Knights-Oilers Prediction & Pick

With the line sitting at a near 50-50 pick' em, the betting public certainly believes that this one can come down to the wire. Despite Edmonton playing at home, their 8-9 record against the spread is not convincing enough to put money on them. With that being said, the Golden Knights have compiled a 11-7 ATS and are easier to trust at this point in time.

Final Golden Knights-Oilers Prediction & Pick: Golden Knights +0.5 (-114)