Two Stanley Cup hopefuls collide as the Edmonton Oilers visit the Boston Bruins. It is time to continue our NHL odds series with an Oilers-Bruins prediction and pick.
The Oilers come into the game at 24-12-3 on the year, which is good for third in the Pacific Division. They are currently tied in points with the Kings, but behind them due to playing one more game, and they are six points behind the Golden Knights. This has the Oilers considering making some trades to bolster the roster. In the last game, they faced the Seattle Kraken. The Oilers scored just 57 seconds into the game on a Vasily Podkolzin goal. They would add another goal in the period, going on to win the game 4-2.
Meanwhile, the Bruins are 20-17-5 on the year, which places them in third in the Atlantic Division. In their last game, the Bruins faced the Islanders. Mark Kastelic, who just signed a new deal with the Bruins, set up Cole Koepke to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead in the first. Still, the Islanders would take a 2-1 lead before the end of the period, and by the third, they had extended that to 4-2. Still, David Pastranak would score early in the third, and then again mid-way through the third to tie the game. This would force overtime, where Bo Horvat would score to give the Islanders the 5-4 win.
Here are the Oilers-Bruins NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Oilers-Bruins Odds
Edmonton Oilers: -1.5 (+172)
Moneyline: -142
Boston Bruins: +1.5 (-215)
Moneyline: +118
Over: 6.5 (+110)
Under: 6.5 (-134)
How To Watch Oilers vs Bruins
Time: 7:00 PM ET/ 4:00 PM PT
TV: ESPN+
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Why the Oilers Could Cover the Spread/Win
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 39 assists on the year while having five goals and 11 assists on the power play. He is joined on the line by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Nugent-Hopkins comes into the game with 10 goals and 12 assists, good for fifth 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 13 assists.
Leon Draisaitl leads the team in points and goals this year. He has 29 goals and 30 assists this year, good for 59 points. Draisaitl also has seven goals and nine assists on the power play this year. Further, the third line also gives production for the Oilers. Zach Hyman is fourth on the team in points with 13 goals and nine assists.
Stuart Skinner is expected to be in goal for the Oilers in this one. He is 15-8-3 with a 2.78 goals-against average and a .898 save percentage. He has also been solid lately. Skinner has given up two or fewer goals in four of his last five starts, going 4-0-1 in the last five games. Further, he has a save percentage above .920 in four of the last five.
Why the Bruins Could Cover the Spread/Win
The top line for the Bruins is home to David Pastrnak, along with Pavel Zacha and Morgan Geekie. Pastrnak is first on the team in goals, assists, and total points. He has 17 goals and 25 assists, good for 42 points. Meanwhile, Zacha has nine goals and 12 assists on the year, while Geekie has nine goals and nine assists this year.
Brand Marchand, currently on the second line, is second on the team in goals, assists, and points. He has 15 goals and 17 assists on the year. He is joined by Elias Lindholm, who has seven goals and 13 assists on the year, third on the team in points. Further, the Bruins also get production from Justin Brazeau, who is on the third line. He comes in with ten goals and eight assists on the year.
Jeremy Swayman is expected to be in goal for the Bruins in this one. He is 13-13-3 with a 2.91 goals-against average and a .891 save percentage. Swayman has been solid as of late. He has given up two or fewer goals in four of his last five games but is just 2-3 in those five games.
Final Oilers-Bruins Prediction & Pick
The Oilers come in as favorites in terms of odds in this NHL game. One major reason is their solid defense. The Oilers are ninth in the NHL in goals against per game, while also scoring 3.28 goals per game. Meanwhile, the Bruins are scoring just 2.64 goals, but in the last four games, they have scored ten goals. The defense has been the issue as of late. While they are 19th in the NHL giving up 3.12 goals per game, in their last four, they have given up 16 goals. Expect continued struggles for the Bruins as the Oilers get the win.
Final Oilers-Bruins Prediction & Pick: Oilers ML (-142)