NHL Best Bets: Oilers vs. Ducks Game Picks

Two teams with wildly different aspirations will collide tonight, with the Edmonton Oilers visiting the Anaheim Ducks.

All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

It was a rough start for the Oilers’ Western Conference road trip, which saw them drop a meeting with the Los Angeles Kings. Keeping with tradition in Edmonton, they’ve been inconsistent, posting a 4-4-2 record over their last ten games. The Ducks have one goal, the first overall pick in the 2023 draft. They have a 4-5-1 record over their last ten games but already have a victory over the Oilers this season. 

There’s too much talent on the Oilers to be consistently mediocre. There’s a reason they made the Western Conference Finals last season, but they’ll need to find last year’s consistency if they have hopes of going on another run. A matchup against the Ducks is a prime opportunity to get back on track.

Looking toward the projected goalie matchup, the visiting Oilers are expected to start Jack Campbell, while the Ducks should do the same with John Gibson. The Oilers netminder hasn’t had the best debut season with the club, posting a 9-8-1 record with a .877 save percentage. With the team in front of Gibson, it’s hard to blame him for his record, sitting 7-17-3 with a .898 save percentage. 

There’s no real value in siding with the Oilers on the moneyline at -255, but that shouldn’t deter bettors from the Edmonton’s value on the puck line, priced at -108. This team is due for a breakout performance, and this is an excellent matchup for that.

Best Bet: Oilers puck line -1.5 (-108)

There aren’t many strengths with the Ducks, sitting in the basement in goals allowed per game and scoring at the second-lowest rate in the NHL. Meanwhile, goal-scoring has been the calling card for the Oilers, sitting fifth in the league. What the Ducks’ offense might have going for them is that the Oilers struggle to keep pucks out of the net, which was evident when these teams combined for seven goals earlier in the season. As a result, target the over 6.5,  priced at -130. 

Best Bet: Over 6.5 (-130) 

The Ducks struggle on defense, so it’s hard not to target the world’s best player. Connor McDavid has continued to put up historic numbers for the Oilers. Even with his price to score sitting at -112, there is still value because McDavid leads the league in goals with 34.

Best Prop: Connor McDavid to Record Over 0.5 Goals (-112)