Chicago Blackhawks vs. Edmonton Oilers Prediction, Preview, and Odds

The Chicago Blackhawks are coming off Sunday’s 4-2 defeat to the Washington Capitals. It was their fifth loss in seven games, and the Blackhawks finished a four-game homestand with a 2-1-1 record. They had beaten the Anaheim Ducks 1-0 and the St. Louis Blues 3-1 prior to Monday’s loss against the Caps. 

Chicago outshot Washington 34-27, but the Blackhawks went 0-for-6 with the man advantage while allowing the Caps to score four straight goals. Arvid Soderblom posted 23 saves on the night, falling to 2-9-1 on the season. 

Petr Mrazek is expected to patrol the crease Tuesday in Edmonton. The 31-year-old netminder is 7-8-0 with a 3.03 GAA and a .912 save percentage this season, and Mrazek has emerged victorious in three of his last five starts. The Blackhawks are 28th in the NHL in goals against (3.44 per game) and 31st in goals for (2.41). 

The Edmonton Oilers are rolling on a seven-game winning streak following Sunday’s 4-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils. It was their third consecutive outing on the home ice, and the red-hot Oilers have accounted for 14 goals during that stretch. 

Edmonton outshot New Jersey 30-27 and went 1-for-3 with the man advantage while killing all of the Devils’ four power-play opportunities. Four Oilers found the back of the net including Connor McDavid, while Calvin Pickard made 26 stops to grab his first NHL victory in almost two years. 

Stuart Skinner is expected to guard the cage Tuesday against the Blackhawks. The 25-year-old goalie is 9-7-1 with a 3.03 GAA and a .887 save percentage this season, and Skinner is undefeated in six straight starts. The Oilers rank 24th in the league in goals against (3.36) and seventh in goals for (3.48). 

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Best Bets for this Game

Insiders Status:

The total looks like a tricky bet because of the Oilers’ resurrected defense. Edmonton has scored four or more goals in six of its last seven outings, and the question is whether Chicago has enough firepower to score a couple of goals in this matchup. 

Frankly, it’s tough to trust Chicago’s offense. The Blackhawks have only scored 12 goals over their previous seven showings at any location. None of those seven tilts has seen more than six goals on the scoreboard, so I’ll take the under in this game. 

Prediction: Go under 6.5 goals (+117)