Blue Jackets at Oilers (03/21/19) – Odds and NHL Betting Trends
5 years ago
A dismal loss in what was ostensibly a do-or-done game has led to the Edmonton Oilers being an underdog at home – a situation where they do not exactly fare well.
The Oilers are the +115 underdog (bet $100 to win $115) on the NHL betting lines for Thursday night at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com with the Columbus Blue Jackets coming back as a -140 away favorite (bet $140 to win $100), and a 6.0-goal total. The Oilers are only 3-10 this season as a underdog on home ice at Rogers Place, including a 1-8 record in the last nine instances.
These teams’ only other meeting was just three weeks ago, on March 2, with Edmonton winning 4-0 on the strength of three-point nights from Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and a 30-save shutout from Mikko Koskinen. That was also the last time the Oilers won a game by a multi-goal margin.
The Oilers came out flat on the road in a 7-2 away loss against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, mustering only four shots on goal during the first period. Zack Kassian and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored the lone Edmonton goals.
It is hard to know how Edmonton will come out after a disappointing road trip where it earned only two of six possible points. Totals bettors should note that the score has gone OVER in eight of the Oilers’ last nine games as an underdog at home, according to the OddsShark NHL Database. The Oilers’ last eight games have also had an average of 6.75 goals.
The total has gone UNDER in four of the six Blue Jackets’ away games this season against the Pacific Division, but the average total of 5.67 suggests a bounce and a breakdown here or there could create an OVER.
Edmonton has the NHL’s 20th-ranked offense, averaging 2.8 goals per game, while Columbus boasts the 13th-ranked offense, averaging an even 3.0 goals. The Oilers boast the 11th-ranked power play (21.0 percent) and 30th-ranked penalty kill (75.3 percent). Columbus has the 28th-ranked power play (15.3 percent) and third-ranked penalty kill (84.7 percent).
Koskinen did not finish his start against St. Louis on Tuesday, getting the hook after allowing three goals on 20 shots, but his earlier success against Columbus might indicate that he’ll get the call again.
With nine regular-season games left, the Oilers are seven points out of a playoff spot, with three teams in between them and the Arizona Coyotes, who sit in the Western Conference second wild-card position. Edmonton concludes the week at home on Saturday against the Ottawa Senators, who have the worst record in the NHL. The Blue Jackets, who have a one-point lead in the race for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot, conclude a four-game road trip against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday
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