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NHL Betting Odds & Preview for Wednesday – Oilers at Golden Knights

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
7 minute read
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The Edmonton Oilers pick themselves up, dust themselves off and head to The Strip after a disappointing 4-3 overtime loss at Honda Center in Anaheim on Tuesday night. The Vegas Golden Knights also faced the Ducks last, and they also needed overtime in that game. However, the Knights were able to top the Ducks 6-5 in overtime on 'The Pond' on Sunday night. VGK will be the more rested team, and they had a day to get their newcomers acclimated after coming over at the NHL trade deadline.

The Knights acquired G Robin Lehner, as well as F Nick Cousins, who should provide a little sandpaper. Lehner will give the team a little better depth in the event starting tendy Marc-Andre Fleury goes down to injury or needs a little more time to rest. It was one of the more underrated moves at the deadline.

Edmonton Oilers at Vegas Golden Knights
Date and Time: Wednesday, February 26, 2020, 10:30 p.m. ET
Location: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
NHL Betting Online Odds at FanDuel: Golden Knights -200, Total 6.5
Oilers at Golden Knights TV Coverage: Local

Odds provided by FanDuel (IN, NJ, & PA only)
Odds Subject to Change (T&C's Apply, 21+)

Edmonton Oilers at Vegas Golden Knights Betting Odds Overview

The Oilers are playing in the second end of a back-to-back, and the first game looked like the easier task on paper. However, the Ducks were plucky in their 4-3 overtime victory, so the Oilers limp up Interstate 15 (OK, they likely flew) to try and regroup in Vegas. That's not usually a good place to recover, especially since the Golden Knights have been red-hot lately. 

Edmonton Oilers Current Form

The Oilers (33-22-6-2) have managed a respectable 18-12-2-1 mark on the road this season. A key of Edmonton's success this season has been their work on the power play, as they rank No. 1 in the NHL in the category at 29.0 percent. All-Stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have been money this season. The Oilers acquired Fs Andreas Athanasiou and Tyler Ennis, and they were paired with McDavid in their debut in Anaheim. While the overall result of Tuesday's game didn't go well, the pairing of Athanasiou, Ennis and McDavid was the only offense working for the Oil. Each newcomer had a goal and an assist. Lost in the hoopla of their offense has been their defense, as Edmonton ranks No. 2 in the NHL on the penalty kill at 84.7 percent.

Vegas Golden Knights Current Form

The Golden Knights are 19-10-3-1 at home this season, and they rank No. 1 in the NHL in shots on goal at 34.6 per game. The offense has really been much better than earlier in the season, and they rank a respectable 10th on the power play at 21.3 percent. They're 12th in the league with 3.2 goals per game, too. Vegas has rattled off six wins in a row, and those wins havven't exactly been against slouches, either. They have victories against the defending champion Blues, the Islanders, the Capitals, the Lightning and the playoff hopeful Panthers, as well as that OT win over the Ducks. During their six-game winning streak they're averaging 4.4 goals per game while allowing 3.0 GPG.

Oilers to Watch

We'll keep an eye on Athanasiou and Ennis. Pairing them with McDavid was a nice move, and if they can stick with the stud they're going to do well. However, the Oilers need secondary and tertiary scoring. Draisaitl can only do so much. It's likely that G Mikko Koskinen gets the nod in this one due to the back-to-back situation. He is 16-12-2 with a 2.89 GAA and .911 SV% overall this season. He limps in on a 1-3-0 run across the past four outings, yielding 11 goals across his past three assignments.

 The Oilers beat the Golden Knights 4-2 in the most recent meeting on Nov. 23. D Ethan Bear hasn't scored a lot of goals this season, but he beat Fleury. McDavid had two goals in the first meeting, while Draisaitl had primary assist on three of the four goals. F Zack Kassian picked up two helpers in the victory, too. F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins heads into this one with four goals and 13 points across the past 10 games for the Oil.

Golden Knights to Watch

The Knights were mostly blanked in that 4-2 loss around Thanksgiving, with only F Cody Eakin and D Shea Theodore accounting for goals. Theodore enters this one on a three-game point streak with a goal and two assists.

Fs Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone are the big dogs. Pacioretty has 29 goals and 61 total points, while Stone is good for 12 helpers across the past 10 outings. Stone is also good for a goal, six points and a plus-3 rating with six shots on net in the past three outings. F Reilly Smith is good for a pair of goals, three points and a plus-3 rating in the past two.

Edmonton Oilers at Vegas Golden Knights Selection Summary

The Oilers will be playing their third game in four days, and their fourth game in six days. Youth serves them well, as they're 5-1 in the third game of a 3-in-4 situation, and 4-1 in the fourth game of a 4-in-6. They're also 10-4 in their past 14 games against teams with a winning overall record. However, they're also 36-77 in their past 113 in the second end of a back-to-back situation, and just 4-10 in the past 14 after going to overtime on the previous day. And, for what it's worth, they're 0-6 in the past six games on Wednesday.

VGK has won six in a row, and they're 5-0 in the past five as a favorite. They're also a perfect 5-0 in the past five against teams with a winning record, while going 6-2 in the past eight against Western Conference foes. The home side has come through with wins in five of the past seven, with the under connecting in four of the past five in Vegas.

Oilers at Golden Knights Free Pick and Score Prediction

Golden Knights -1.5 goals (+125)
Golden Knights 5, Oilers 3


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