Edmonton Oilers vs. St. Louis Blues Prediction, NHL Odds
The Oilers and Blues are back in action on Wednesday night in St. Louis following an extended Christmas break. Edmonton hasn’t played since a 5-3 win in Seattle on Dec. 18, while the Blues have been off since dropping a 4-2 decision in Winnipeg on Dec. 19.
St. Louis is a -155 favourite to win on the NHL odds, with a total of 6.5.
Oilers vs. Blues NHL Betting Odds
This is the second meeting between these teams in St. Louis this year, following Edmonton’s 5-4 win on Nov. 14. Sports Interaction bettors see the Oilers’ winning trend continuing, with about 75 per cent of action backing Edmonton, while about 70 per cent of bettors are taking the Over.
The league-wide schedule pause probably came at a good time for the Oilers, as they had dropped six of their last eight games before the break. They haven’t been a great cover option this season, going 13-16 against the spread overall, but they have managed a positive 7-6 ATS record on the road. The total has gone Under in four of Edmonton’s last six games.
St. Louis has been tough to beat at home this year. The Blues are 11-3-2 at Enterprise Center, winning eight of their last nine at home. They’re 17-14 ATS overall and 10-6 ATS in St. Louis. The total has gone Under in four of the Blues’ last five games.
Edmonton Oilers
Warren Foegele was the hero against Seattle, scoring twice, including the go-ahead goal in the third period. Foegele buried his first goal of the game on the power-play, boosting the Oilers’ success rate on the man advantage to a league-best 31.9 per cent. Evan Bouchard and Colton Sceviour added even-strength goals, while Connor McDavid sealed the win with an empty-netter. Leon Draisaitl had three assists. The two Oilers superstars continue to reign as the most dominant teammate duo in the NHL. Draisaitl leads the NHL with 23 goals, while McDavid has a league-best 32 assists. Both players are tied at the top of the points race with 49 apiece. It was a light night for Stuart Skinner against the Kraken as he only faced 17 shots, stopping 14.
Edmonton should have a deeper lineup in St. Louis. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Ryan McLeod and Devin Shore all returned to practice on Sunday after being placed on the COVID list before the break, as did head coach Dave Tippett. Zach Hyman is also practicing again after suffering a shoulder injury on Dec. 11 and is expected to play on Wednesday.
There’s been no word on a starting goalie, although Mike Smith is reportedly ready to return to the lineup. Smith hasn’t played since Oct. 19 due to a lower-body injury. Smith has posted a 3.08 goals-against average and .920 save percentage in three starts this season. Mikko Koskinen (12-6-0, 3.16 GAA, .902 SV) and Skinner (4-5-0, 2.70 GAA, .916 SV) have split starts in Smith’s absence.
St. Louis Blues
St. Louis sits just one point back of the Central Division lead and they were riding a seven-game point streak before their loss in Winnipeg. Vladimir Tarasenko and Niko Mikkola had the Blues’ goals, while Jordan Binnington stoped 30 of 34 shots. It was Binnington’s first start since he missed eight games in COVID protocols. Pavel Buchnevich and Ivan Barbashev each had a pair of assists. Tarasenko (12G, 17A) and Buchnevich (11G, 18A) share the team-lead in points with 29 each.
Binnington is expected to get the start against Edmonton. He’s 8-6-3 this season, with a 2.87 GAA and .910 SV. Barbashev, Robert Bortuzzo, James Neal and Brayden Schenn remain in COVID protocols. Jordan Kyrou, Robert Thomas and Jake Walman are out of protocols and back with the team.
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