The Edmonton Oilers survived a wild series against the rival Calgary Flames to reach the Western Conference Finals for the first time since the 2005-06 season. Edmonton will be butting heads with the Colorado Avalanche to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Avalanche are another team with a historic past, but are appearing in their first conference finals since the 2001-02 season.
This series will generate a lot of NHL betting picks. The Oilers are star-powered, led by talented center Connor McDavid, who many consider to be a generational talent and the best player in the league. Colorado, though, isn’t lacking for star power either. Avalanche center Nathan MackKnnon is a former No. 1 overall pick who has flourished in the NHL over the past 10 seasons.
Last games records
Edmonton beat Calgary 5-4 on the road May 26 to win their second-round series 4-1. Colorado beat St. Louis 3-2 Mary 27 in St. Louis to win their second-round series 4-2.
Matchup Information
Oilers at Avalanche Betting Analysis
Edmonton Analysis
The Oilers’ stars haven’t found the spotlight of the playoffs too bright. In fact, Edmonton’s offense has been producing at a more than efficient pace. The Oilers have recorded 4.3 goals per game, pocketing 52 goals in 12 games.
While NHL betting stats show Edmonton’s top two centers Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have been excellent, the Oilers have seen other players step up to become big-time contributors. Left-wing Evander Kane has more than doubled his career postseason goal total by scoring a team-high 12 goals. Fellow left wing Zach Hyman is second on the team with eight goals.
Not that McDavid and Draisaitl have been slouches either. Each has tied for a team-lead 26 points, with seven goals and 19 assists apiece. Edmonton goalie Mike Smith has compiled an 8-3 record in 11 starts and recorded a .927 save percentage with a 2.70 goals-against average.
Colorado Analysis
The Avalanche had to dig in and fight against St. Louis is the last round. While Colorado had no problem sweeping Nashville in the first round, the Avalanche had to hold their breath in the second round thanks to a spirited effort from the Blues. Colorado’s offense has been scoring at the same clip as Edmonton, averaging 4.3 goals per game.
MacKinnon leads the team with eight goals and is tied for a team-high with 13 points. Gabriel Landeskog is second on the team with six goals, while Nazem Kadri is third with five. Darcy Kuemper is 6-2 in net this postseason, posting a save percentage of .904 and has a goals-against average of 2.44.
Colorado was 2-1 against Edmonton in the regular season but didn’t beat the Oilers in regulation. One of the Avalanche’s victories came in a shootout while the other ended in overtime.
Updates
Neither Colorado nor Edmonton has any injuries of note.
- The over is 4-1 in the Oilers’ last five games.
- The over is 3-2 in the Avalanche’s last five games.
- Edmonton was 2-0 as the favorite against Calgary.
- Colorado was 4-2 as the favorite against St. Louis.
Oilers at Avalanche Betting Preview
NHL betting odds have Avalanche as -182 on the moneyline. Edmonton is +155. The over/under is set at 6.5, for anyone looking to make NHL expert picks.
Oilers at Avalanche Betting Prediction
This will be a series that the NHL has been dreaming of. Mackinnon and McDavid are both in their mid 20s and will want to be a series the league hopes it can get on a regular basis. Mackinnon has played the modesty role early, saying that McDavid is the best player in the world. However, Colorado will want to show Mackinnon isn’t far behind.
The Avalanche will need a better effort from Darcy Kemper, who has been allowing more goals in the postseason than Colorado would have liked. Colorado had outshot St. Louis significantly in several games and struggled to get results and took a surprising loss in Game 5.
Edmonton’s offense hasn’t found difficulty getting good looks and those struggles aren’t likely to start now. Expect the Oilers to turn up the heat and surprise the Avalanche with a victory in Game 1.
How to bet on Oilers at Avalanche
Bet Edmonton +155.
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