Edmonton Oilers vs. Carolina Hurricanes Prediction, NHL Odds
The Edmonton Oilers will try to build on a narrow 3-2 victory in Tampa Bay when they continue their current four-game road trip with a Thursday night matchup against the slumping Carolina Hurricanes. Tuesday’s victory over the Lightning snapped a three-game losing streak, and improves the Oilers’ road record to a respectable 4-1-0. The Hurricanes return home after falling 3-0 in Florida on Wednesday night, and have now scored just one total goal during a two-game slide.
The Oilers have improved slightly to +139 underdogs after opening as a +141 bet, and have attracted 79 per cent of the betting action. The Hurricanes still lead the way as -152 favourites on the NHL odds. The total has held steady since opening at 6.5, with the OVER shortening to a -125 wager.
Oilers vs. Hurricanes NHL Betting Odds
Thursday night’s matchup at PNC Arena marks the second and final meeting of the season between these clubs. The Oilers skated to a 6-4 win when the Hurricanes visited Edmonton on October 22, ending a two-game slide in head-to-head action, but have failed to sweep a season series with Carolina since 2014. Overall, the Hurricanes have taken seven of 10 from the Oilers, but have earned the win in just two of their past four home dates Edmonton.
The OVER prevailed in their first date of the season, and has gone 6-3-0 over their past nine clashes. However, the UNDER has paid out in two of the Oilers’ past three trips to Carolina, with the Hurricanes limiting Edmonton shooters to just one goal in two of those contests.
Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers’ special teams continued to produce in Tuesday’s win over the Lightning, with the power play converting twice to go along with a shorthanded goal from Warren Foegele to open the scoring. Overall, the Edmonton power play has racked up 10 of the team’s 28 total goals over the past seven games. Not surprisingly, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have led the charge, combining to tally eight of the club’s past 10 goals with the extra man, and 13 of 17 overall this season. McDavid now enjoys an eight-game point streak during which he has scored eight times and added 10 helpers, while Draisaitl has found the back of the net in in six of seven contests.
Goaltender Jack Campbell is also coming off a much needed steady performance in Tampa Bay, where he stopped 35 of 37 shots to earn the win, and put the brakes on a brutal three-game stretch during which he allowed 15 total goals. However, the club will have to make do without winger Evander Kane indefinitely after he was rushed to hospital on Tuesday after his wrist was slashed by a skate blade. Kane’s injury is a blow to an Oilers squad that remains in dire need of secondary scoring.
Carolina Hurricanes
Hurricanes shooters were once again snake bitten in Wednesday’s loss to the Panthers. Carolina outshot Florida by a 40-36 margin, but were unable to solve netminder Spencer Knight while losing two in a row for just the second time this season. Wednesday’s defeat marks the team’s second game in which they fell to defeat despite outshooting their opponents. The Canes also outshot the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs by a 30-21 margin in Sunday’s 3-1 loss, and have now scored just four total goals at even strength over their past five outings.
The team’s current swoon coincides with the start of Sebastian Aho’s and Martin Necas’ mini scoring slumps. The duo racked up a combined 14 points in their preceding four outings, but have both been held off the scoresheet during the team’s two-game slide. Complicating matters is a hectic schedule that has the Hurricanes playing on back-to-back nights for the third time in two weeks. Sunday’s loss to Toronto came on the back half of games played on consecutive nights, dumping the club to 2-3 straight up in their past five.
EDM
CAR