Hurricanes vs. Oilers Prediction: NHL Betting Odds
-
Charlie Grant
The Edmonton Oilers are trying to avoid the embarrassment of missing the playoffs for a 12th time in the last 13 seasons, but they’re having trouble staying inside the top eight of the Western Conference. They’re short underdogs at home on Sunday against a Carolina club starting a three-game Western Canada road trip.
Hurricanes vs Oilers Betting Analysis
Carolina is coming off back-to-back losses with the last coming against the lonely Ottawa Senators. The two-game losing skid ended a hot period for the ‘Canes in which they’d taken 14 out of a possible 16 points during an eight-game stretch.
Despite the improved results, the club is still a longshot to qualify for the postseason. The Hurricanes are nine points back of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the eighth seed in Eastern Conference.
The Hurricanes have allowed three or more goals in seven straight games and the over is 5-2 over that stretch of games. Despite the recent trend, Carolina has been a much better under bet on the campaign. The under is 28-18-1 in Carolina games this season.
Edmonton enters this game on the heels of a 5-2 home loss to the Calgary Flames. The Oilers are two points back of the Minnesota Wild for the last playoff position in the West. The team is 2-7 straight up in its last nine home games and 29-72 in its last 101 games playing on zero days’ rest.
About 69 percent of bettors are backing the Oilers to win outright as +105. Edmonton is down 2.46 units on its home ice this season, which means a $100 bettor would be down $246 if they backed the club in all of its home games.
Carolina Hurricanes
The ‘Canes are active on the trade market and they are hoping the acquisition of Swiss winger Nino Niederreiter will spark their offence. Carolina parted with centre Victor Rask to bring Niederreiter over from Minnesota.
Niederreiter was held scoreless in his first game with the ‘Canes but he did register four shots while playing on a line with Justin Williams and Gregg McKegg. After Friday’s loss, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour publicly apologized to Niederreiter for the team’s effort. The seventh-year player has nine goals and 23 points in 46 games.
Edmonton Oilers
Connor McDavid is coming off just his sixth game this season where he was held off the scoresheet. McDavid has 29 goals and 41 assists in 47 games, and only Nikita Kucherov, Johnny Gaudreau and Mikko Rantanen have more points on the season than McDavid’s 70.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is the Edmonton forward with the hottest hands these days. The centre has nine points in his last seven games included a goal in Saturday’s 5-2 loss to the Calgary Flames.
