Oilers vs. Canucks prediction, odds, pick, how to watch
The Oilers will look gain some momentum and stop the Canucks in their tracks when the puck drops on Monday night.
Even though the weekend is in the rear-view mirror, some entertaining hockey will at least be on tap this Monday night as the Edmonton Oilers battle it out with the Vancouver Canucks. It is time to continue our NHL odds series where our Oilers-Canucks prediction and pick will be made.
Off to an extremely sluggish start to the season at 2-7-1, the usual high-flying ways of the Oilers have been few and far between. Believe it or not, Edmonton has remarkably lost six of their last seven games and need to reverse their losing trend before it is too late.
Things couldn't be more different in Vancouver, as the Canucks have found themselves in the midst of an ongoing eight-point streak that has resulted in an impressive 8-2-1 overall record. Most recently, the Canucks recorded their second shutout victory of the season with a 2-0 triumphant victory over the Dallas Stars.
Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Oilers-Canucks Odds
Edmonton Oilers: -1.5 (+198)
Vancouver Canucks: +1.5 (-245)
Over: 6.5 (-162)
Under: 6.5 (+132)
How to Watch Oilers vs. Canucks
Time: 10:00 ET/7:00 PT
TV: ESPN+
Why The Oilers Will Cover The Spread/Win
Without a doubt, very few saw such struggles occurring prior to the season starting for this Edmonton Oilers squad. In inexplicable fashion, the Oilers simply have failed to get on the same page in the early going of the fresh campaign.
Alas, one of the main issues that Edmonton has not had an answer for has been their excruciating inability to execute following the opening periods of games. Shockingly, the Oilers have outscored opponents 14-11 in first periods alone, but have been dominated by the opposition 30-13 in the second and third frames of games.. Simply put, this Oilers squad is not living up to expectations and are not finishing games which is a major flag as this season progresses.
Not only will Edmonton need too reverse the trend of not being able to close games, but the Oilers will also needs to improve their penalty-killing ways when short-handed. As it stands, the Oilers possess the fifth-worst penalty-killing percentage in the league at 71.8%. They also happen to own the worst defense in all of hockey statistically as they are giving up a mind-boggling 4.10 scores per contest. Clearly, Edmonton does possess an offense that can find the back of the net at any given time, but if they continue to be absolutely horrendous on the defense end of the ice, then it will be all for not.
Why The Canucks Will Cover The Spread/Win
One of the surprising teams thus far that the NHL has to offer, the Canucks are playing at an incredibly high-level that could eventually pay off into a playoff berth for the first time since 2019-2020 season.
Overall, the one aspect of the game that has impressed the most has been the remarkable play of goalie Thatcher Demko who is 6-2 with a shiny 1.56 GAA and a rock-solid .947 save percentage. At the moment, Demko is projected to get the start in net on this Monday night which should prove to be a major advantage considering how dominant he has been.
Obviously enough, continuing to bat a blind eye at this ferocious offensive is silly and unwise. Believe it or not, but the Canucks offense is seemingly clicking on all cylinders and are averaging 4.36 goals per contest. Not only will a swift start on the ice this evening possibly be too much to overcome if you're Edmonton, but once again, Elias Pettersson has been unstoppable to slow down.
Clearly on a mission to prove that he belongs among the league's elite all-around centers, Pettersson is tied for first in all of the NHL with 20 overall points. Even more so, the 24-year-old center captain is currently smack dab in the middle of a five-point streak including netting a score in the 2-0 win over the Stars. Whether it's in the form of his unselfish play or his eagerness to score at will, the Oilers will have their hands full against Pettersson.
Final Oilers-Canucks Prediction & Pick
Simply enough, the Oilers are playing down to the talent that exists on their roster, and although at some point they will start connecting the dots, they clearly aren't playing good enough to match up successfully against a scalding hot Vancouver Canucks crew. At the end of the day, be smart with your money and rely on Vancouver to stymie Edmonton especially with their home fans expected to be more than rambunctious on Monday night.
Final Oilers-Canucks Prediction & Pick: Canucks -1.5 (+198)
