The top two players in the NHL go head-to-head tonight when Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers travel to Pennsylvania to renew acquaintances with Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Sportsbooks opened the Oilers as +170 road underdogs with a total of 6.5.
- The total has gone OVER in four of the Oilers’ last five games.
- The Oilers are 2-12-2 SU in their last 16 games when playing on the road against the Penguins.
- The Penguins are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games.
Oilers vs Penguins Game Center
Crosby has lit up the Oil in his career
Crosby got the better of McDavid in the first meeting between the superstars this season, as the Nova Scotia native capped the Penguins’ 6-5 overtime win with a backhander in a two-goal performance. Crosby boosted his team-leading point total to 65 after potting one and setting up two more on Monday as Pittsburgh snapped its four-game skid (0-3-1) and Philadelphia’s 10-game point streak (9-0-1) in a 4-1 triumph. The 31-year-old has 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) in 15 career games against Edmonton.
The Oilers continue to head in the wrong direction after falling for the seventh time in eight outings (1-5-2) with a 5-2 setback to the San Jose Sharks on Saturday. Zack Kassian has been a bright spot for the Oilers, as the veteran has nine points (six goals, three assists) in his last 11 contests. Right-winger Ty Rattie, who was injured while blocking a shot vs the Sharks, participated fully in Tuesday’s practice and is expected to play tonight.
Oilers are turning into a solid OVER bet
When it comes to the total, the OVER could be the play according to betting trends. Edmonton has gone OVER in four of its past five contests. The Oilers’ defense has sprung a leak of late and goaltender Mikko Koskinen has had his struggles as well, which is a great recipe for an OVER bet. Koskinen (14-11-2, 2.89 goals-against average, .906 save percentage) and Matt Murray (16-9-1, 2.89 GAA, .914 SV%) will start in net tonight.
How badly have the Oilers struggled when playing in Pittsburgh? Edmonton is a brutal 2-12-2 SU in its past 16 trips to PPG Paints Arena. I’d look for Pittsburgh to protect home ice and put on another dominant showing tonight.
My pick: take the Penguins to win in regulation
The Pens were sitting at -200 on the moneyline as of this writing, so unless you’re OK with laying that much chalk for them to win outright, you’re going to have to look for alternatives in order to find some semblance of value. Sportsbook is dealing the Penguins at a price of -125 to win in regulation, and while this bet does come with a bit of risk, Pittsburgh is the much better team and should put this one to bed after 60 minutes.
