by OddsShark (@OddsShark) – Sponsored Post
The Edmonton Oilers can pull even with second-place Montreal in the North Division standings with a win on Thursday when they visit the Canadiens as +120 underdogs on the NHL odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Edmonton enters the final date of its current four-game road trip after sweeping the Ottawa Senators in a two-game set earlier this week, and has now posted wins in five of six outings ahead of Thursday night’s matchup at the Bell Centre.
Oilers vs Canadiens | OddsShark Matchup Report
The Oilers’ success to date against Ottawa has been key to their steady rise in the standings, where they currently lag just two points behind the Canadiens in the hunt for second spot. Each of the team’s past four victories have come against the basement-dwelling Senators. However, their two victories in Ottawa this week were far from easy. Edmonton needed a third-period rally to get past the Senators in Monday’s 3-1 win, and escaped with a 3-2 victory as -190 chalk at sports betting sites on Tuesday despite being outshot by a 42-22 margin.
However, the silver lining for the Oilers in Tuesday’s victory was the performance of the team’s supporting cast, as the Senators brought a halt to lengthy 10-game point streaks by Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. Ottawa was unable to stop the Oilers rearguard corps, with Darnell Nurse, Evan Bouchard, and Tyson Barrie all contributing goals.
That is welcome news for Edmonton, which has relied heavily on their superstar duo for offensive production through the first quarter of the season. Tuesday’s win over Ottawa also marked the first time in nine games since the beginning of last season that the Oilers earned a win while both Draisaitl and McDavid have been held off the scoresheet.
The Oilers will likely need their superstars to rediscover their scoring touch in Montreal, which sits as -140 chalk ahead of Thursday’s contest. The Canadiens have enjoyed a strong 8-3-2 start, which has lifted them among the favourites on the Stanley Cup odds as a +1100 wager.
The Canadiens have fueled their hot start with steady offense, outscoring opponents by multi-goal margins in seven of their eight victories. That includes a pair of wins in Edmonton during the first week of the season in which the Oilers were limited to just two total goals. However, the Canadiens have produced mixed results on home ice, compiling a 3-3-0 record. The team has also seen its offense taper off over the past week, tallying just six total goals while losing two of three, capped by Wednesday’s 4-2 loss to Toronto as a -115 wager.
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