It's a battle of respective second-place teams in their conference with nearly identical records as the Edmonton Oilers visit the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday night. The Oilers enter this game with a 27-13-3 record, while the Wild are 27-13-4. The teams won't square off for the first time this season, as they already had two matchups in the first half. The Wild defeated the Oilers on the road before Edmonton returned the favor in Minnesota with a blowout 7-1 victory. It's time to continue our NHL odds series with an Oilers-Wild prediction and pick.
Here are the Oilers-Wild NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Oilers-Wild Odds
Edmonton Oilers: -1.5 (+137)
Moneyline: -188
Minnesota Wild: +1.5 (-155)
Moneyline: +168
Over: 6 (+100)
Under: 6 (-122)
How To Watch Oilers vs. Wild
Time: 8:30 PM ET/5:30 PM PT
TV: TNT
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Oilers Could Cover the Spread/Win
Stop us if you have heard this before, but the Oilers are heating up in the season's second half and look like one of the front-runners to win the Stanley Cup. It's difficult to explain why Edmonton comes out of the gates slow every season, but it isn't challenging to see how they manage to get things fixed. Leon Draisaitl is one of the betting favorites to win the Hart Trophy this season, which is suitable for the Oilers. However, it also means that Connor McDavid isn't even in his best form yet. If McDavid turns it on again in the second half, it could be another run to the Stanley Cup Finals on Edmonton's horizon.
The Oilers haven't needed McDavid to be at his best over the last ten games, as they hold a 7-2-1 record. They have two shutouts in their previous four games and are showing they can win in many different ways after their 1-0 triumph over the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night. McDavid scored the game's lone goal after a brilliant individual effort from Draisaitl in the second period, and then the team's defense shut it down the rest of the way. The Oilers were one of the league's best in the second half last season, but they weren't winning many 1-0 games. It could be a good sign for the team's future.
Why the Wild Could Cover the Spread/Win
After losing two of their past three games against the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche, the Wild may have had some recent hiccups. However, they have won seven of their past ten games and are still trying to get their goaltenders and defense back to playing at an acceptable level. Allowing ten goals in those two losses won't sit well with a team that, thanks to its goaltending, dominated the Western Conference earlier in the year.
Remember that the Wild's defensive struggles still amounted to a 2.50 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage over their past five games. It's still near the league average in goaltending amidst the struggles, which means this won't be an easy game for the Oilers.
Final Oilers-Wild Prediction & Pick
The Wild have done much of their damage on the road this season, which hasn't gone over well in The State of Hockey. Likewise, the Oilers are 12-6-2 on the road. It's challenging to explain why the Wild have struggled so much at home, but it could be the margin we need to back the Oilers in this tight matchup. The Wild also awaits the injury status of top-four defensemen Brock Faber and Jonas Brodin. If they both miss this game again, it won't be easy to contain the Oilers' offense.
Final Oilers-Wild Prediction & Pick: Oilers ML (-188)