Golden Knights vs. Oilers prediction: Game 3 odds, picks
The Edmonton Oilers are 5-3 in the postseason and are tied, 1-1, in their best-of-7 series with the Vegas Golden Knights, but there’s no doubt that they’re the most popular pick to win the Stanley Cup at this junction.
Every win from the Oilers seems to be a statement, while every loss is treated like a minor bump in the road that this team will put behind them the next time they step on the ice.
Admittedly, it’s hard not to get carried away with what we’ve seen from the Oilers and their biggest stars so far in this tournament.
Leon Draisaitl is on a record-shattering pace, and Connor McDavid seems on his way there.
These kinds of performances will cause all kinds of hoopla, and that hoopla will, in turn, impact the betting market.
Edmonton is a -175 favorite over the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday night.
Golden Knights vs. Oilers prediction
(8:30 p.m. ET. ESPN)
It’s easier said than done, but the only way you can survive a best-of-7 series against the Oilers is playing disciplined and keeping the game at 5-on-5.
Edmonton’s power play is clipping at 56% in the postseason.
While that number figures to come down some because it is outlandish, it’s unlikely that the Oilers will go ice cold on the man advantage with the way Draisaitl and McDavid are going right now.
In other words, you need to beat Edmonton by a decent margin at 5-on-5 to have a chance against them right now.
The good news for the Knights is that they have a chance to do that.
Vegas and Edmonton alternated terrific performances in the first two games of Round 2, but the Golden Knights should be encouraged with how things have generally played out at 5-on-5.
The Knights have a slight edge in terms of expected goals created (4.0 to 3.5) in the series and the two teams have essentially split the high-danger scoring chances.
The Knights are good enough to tilt the ice in the right direction at 5-on-5 against any team in the NHL on any given night, but they’ll need to come close to dominating even strength to get this job done.
Nonetheless, it does seem like these odds are disrespecting Vegas a bit.
The Oilers are absolutely capable of routing the Knights and making me look foolish, but we’ve seen them drop three games already this postseason, and if the Knights can play a disciplined style of hockey, this becomes a coin flip.
Golden Knights vs. Oilers pick
Vegas Golden Knights +162 (Caesars)
