Oilers vs. Blues Prediction: NHL Betting Odds
First of three meetings between the Oilers and Blues, with St. Louis visiting Edmonton on Dec. 18 and the Oilers returning to the Gateway City on March 19.
Oilers vs Blues Betting Analysis
Last year, the Blues won the season series 2-1. They took the lone meeting in St. Louis 8-3 early in the year behind two goals and two assists from Vladimir Tarasenko. Brayden Schenn and Jaden Schwartz also each had four points. The Blues scored multiple goals in every period. Cam Talbot was pulled after facing just three shots, allowing two goals.
Overall, Schenn led the Blues with eight points (4G, 4A) against the Oilers in 2017-18 and was plus-six. Jake Allen was 2-1-0 with a 2.33 goals-against average and .926 save per centage. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins led the Oilers with four points, all assists. Connor McDavid had a goal and assist and was minus-three. Talbot was 1-1-0 with a 3.76 GAA and .897 SV.
Edmonton is 3-11 in its past 14 trips to St. Louis. The under is 5-1 in the past six meetings overall.
Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers were without McDavid on Monday night in Dallas and not surprisingly lost 4-1. He sat due to an illness. So did Ryan Spooner. Jujhar Khaira had his first goal of the season for the Oilers to cut the Dallas lead to 3-1 at 14:36 of the third, but a short-handed tally from Esa Lindell at 17:46 clinched it.
Anton Khudobin stopped 28 shots for the Stars, while Mikko Koskinen finished with 21 saves for the Oilers. His three-game winning streak ended as Koskinen fell to 8-3-1 with a 2.23 GAA and .925 SV. Edmonton is 1-7 in its past eight road games.
St. Louis Blues
The Blues are one of new Oilers coach Ken Hitchcock’s former teams. He was there from 2011-2017. St. Louis also has made a coaching change already this year, but it hasn’t much improved the team’s fortunes. It enters off a 6-1 blowout loss at Arizona on Saturday. The Coyotes blew it open with four goals in the second. Robert Thomas had the lone St. Louis goal, his second of the year.
Chad Johnson gave up six goals on 44 shots, so it should be Allen on Wednesday. The Blues are really banged up with the likes of Schwartz, Alex Pietrangelo, Alexander Steen, Carl Gunnarsson and Robby Fabbri all out. Schwartz has been limited to only 15 games. He had 24 goals and 35 assists last season in 62 games. The Blues have dropped five straight Wednesday games.
