The Pacific Division is up for grabs as the Edmonton Oilers look to inch closer to the Vegas Golden Knights divisional lead in a bout between a pair of hopeful contenders. It is time to check out our NHL odds series where our Oilers-Golden Knights prediction and pick will be revealed.
With a victory over the Golden Knights the evening, the Oilers have a chance to close within three points of taking over the division lead and officially putting the rest of the NHL on notice. Most recently, Edmonton has been one of the hottest teams in the league with wins in eight of their previous ten games overall.
As for the Golden Knights, Vegas is in firm control of obtaining one of the top seeds in the conference with some more steady performances down the stretch. In fact, the Golden Knights are coming off a thrilling 5-4 victory over the Arizona Coyotes and appear to be primed to fulfill their championship aspirations this summer.
Here are the Oilers-Golden Knights NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Oilers-Golden Knights Odds
Edmonton Oilers: -1.5 (+184)
Vegas Golden Knights: +1.5 (-225)
Over: 6.5 (-160)
Under: 6.5 (+130)
How To Watch Oilers vs. Golden Knights
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 10:00 ET/7:o0 PT
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Oilers Could Cover The Spread
On paper, there are very few if any teams that can straight-up match up and counter with the overwhelming speed that the Oilers possess when on the ice. Edmonton is not only one of the highest-scoring teams in North America but they have shown a much-improved effort on the defensive side of the ice. A year ago, this was clearly a thorn in Edmonton's side come playoffs, as the Oilers didn't have enough firepower defensively to hold the Colorado Avalanche at bay.
Fast forward nearly a full season later, and it is hard for fellow bettors to not wager a few dollars on their game in and game out. As a whole, the Oilers have been north of .500 when it comes to covering the spread with a 39-35 record ATS, and they should have another decent chance to take care of business even as the road team.
In order to cover this evening, the Oilers need to find a way to avoid the fatigue of playing the second night of a back-to-back by not getting lazy on their defensive assignments. Of course, it is expected that the Oilers should have plenty of scoring chances in this one, and it will ultimately be up to this defensive unit to find a way to slow down a Vegas scoring attack that has not missed a beat.
While Edmonton is improved defensively a year ago, Vegas will still more than likely put up a plethora of shots on goal, so the 24-year-old net-minder in Stuart Skinner will need to be on his A game in between the posts to help his team prevail.
Why The Golden Knights Could Cover The Spread
While these two sides are more than familiar with one another, it is important to keep in mind that Vegas has a center that can match McDavid's high-flying game in Jack Eichel. Even more intriguing, it was Eichel that was the second-overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft just behind McDavid as the pair of explosive skaters have certainly lived up to the hype at this point.
Without a doubt, Eichel has been a welcomed sight for Vegas this season after only suiting up for play in 34 games in his first season in Las Vegas, as he has stayed relatively healthy in 2022-2023. In addition, he also leads the team in overall goals and points and will serve as Vegas's best chance to do some damage on the scoreboard in this heated rivalry.
Most importantly, it will be vital for Vegas to continue playing a suffocating brand of defense that few teams around the league have been able to survive. For as high-octane as this offensive onslaught is on paper, their defense may be even more effective, as they only surrender 2.77 goals per game. Going up against a team like Edmonton that is no stranger in finding the back of the net, this Vegas defense will ultimately be tested and will need to dig deep if they are going to prevail. By the time the final horn sounds, it may be up to this defense, and especially backup goalie Laurent Brossoit to pave the way to a spread-covering victory.
Final Oilers-Golden Knights Prediction & Pick
As epic of a matchup that this appears to be on paper, it would be wise to side with the underdog Vegas Golden Knights to cover the spread especially considering they are a mind-blowing 17-3-2 since the All-Star Break.
Final Oilers-Golden Knights Prediction & Pick: Golden Knights +1.5 (-225)
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