The Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers, 2 of the best teams in the NHL, face off tonight at Rogers Place in what we think will be a highly competitive matchup. We’ve all been waiting for this game to come up and here it is.
Both teams come into this game with tons of momentum, but Edmonton has been especially dominant recently winning 5 of their last 6.
So, who’s going to win between the Bruins and Oilers? We’ve got quite a prediction and one of the best NHL bets of the night.
The Oilers are heavy favorites coming into tonight at -185 on the moneyline. The Bruins, on the other hand, are listed at +150. The puck line gives Edmonton -1.5 (+140) and Boston +1.5 (-165) which seems fairly fitting and even the bookmakers have the total goals over/under set at 6 (-110) which feels right for these 2 teams.
The Oilers are surging right now with an 8-2-0 record in their last 10 games. They’ve been absolutely lethal offensively, averaging 6.4 combined goals in their recent games. Sure, that’s well above their season-long mark, but when you have the stars on the ice that they do, you can get that dominant.
Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid continue to lead the charge for their offense, with Draisaitl netting an incredible 23 goals and 24 assists so far in the season. He’s looking unstoppable.
Meanwhile, goaltender Stuart Skinner has been fairly decent, but not his usual overpowering self. He boasts an 11-8-2 record and a 2.98 goals-against average. He’s solid between the pipes, but he’s been better in the past.
Defensively, the Oilers have had a few hiccups but still remain somewhat reliable on special teams. Their 22.8% power-play conversion rate is among the league’s best, while their penalty kill lags slightly at 73.3% and puts them at 26th in the NHL.
This team looks like a playoff-ready team in so many different ways, but they’re not perfect.
The Bruins have also looked solid coming into tonight as they’ve been 7-3-0 in their last 10 games.
However, their offense has been a little streaky as of late and they’re ranking just 25th in the league in goals scored. They’re getting the job done, but they might have to ramp it up for a team like Edmonton. Boston leans heavily on Brad Marchand (13 goals) and David Pastrnak (21 assists) to do the dirty work, but their overall depth in scoring has been an issue.
Defensively, Boston struggles to keep opponents off the board. They’ve given up 104 goals this season which puts them way down there at 24th in the league. It doesn’t help that they also lead the NHL in PIM with 360. Having a PK unit that keeps the puck out of the net only 77.5% of the time doesn’t help in this situation.
Goalie Jeremy Swayman, who will be taking the crease tonight, has had an up-and-down campaign, with a .887 save percentage and a 3.14 goals-against average.
To compete with Edmonton, Boston will need to tighten its defensive zone coverage and avoid penalties. If they can do those 2 things, they should have a decent chance of notching a win against the ever so dominant Edmonton Oilers.
The Oilers have been nearly unstoppable at home and come into this game with the league’s hottest duo in Draisaitl and McDavid. Some even call those 2 some of the best hockey players in the world.
Boston’s defensive and special teams vulnerabilities, combined with Edmonton’s high-octane offense, make the Oilers a clear favorite for tonight’s matchup.
BettorsInsider Best Bet: Edmonton Oilers -1.5 (+140)
We expect Edmonton to capitalize on Boston’s struggles in their own end and pull away late in the game. A solid 4-2 win for the Oilers feels right to us, as their offensive depth and superior special teams can easily make the difference.
For those eyeballing the spread, we got you. The over 6 goals (-110) is another solid pick we wouldn’t pass up, given both teams' recent scoring trends and defensive inconsistencies.