NHL Betting Preview (Feb. 24): Flames vs Oilers Odds
5 months ago
The Battle of Alberta doesn’t pack as much punch as it did a couple of seasons ago, but Edmonton is officially on a losing streak after dropping the second game of a five-game homestand, and the Oilers will want to snap the skid as badly as the Flames will want to extend it. In this article, we’ll break down the odds and trends that make this Western Conference matchup so intriguing.
Flames vs. Oilers Odds
- Calgary Flames Moneyline Odds: +150
- Edmonton Oilers Moneyline Odds: -180
- Puck Line Odds: Flames +1.5 (-150), Oilers -1.5 (+120)
- Game Total: 6.5 goals (over -125, under +105)
All odds courtesy of Betway.
About the Oilers (33-21 SU, 27-27 ATS, 24-27 O/U)
Although the shot clock was tilted heavily toward the Oilers on Friday, the home team didn’t play how you would expect a team with -180 moneyline odds to play. Edmonton’s biggest push came in the third period, after the Wild had regained the lead, and bettors should consider will impact them on Saturday.
Sure, Edmonton has gone 8-5 in the second half of a back-to-back since the start of the 2022-23 season, but all eight wins came on the road. The Oilers rarely play tired in front of their home crowd. In fact, this will only be the ninth time since the start of the 2022-23 season that the Oilers will play a home game against an opponent who has more rest than they do and they’re 4-4 in these situations. It’s a small sample size, but the impact that rest has on home-ice win percentage is a well-researched phenomenon.
About the Flames (27-30 SU, 29-28 ATS, 31-25 O/U)
Surprisingly, Calgary has gone 5-3 straight up since trading Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Andrei Kuzmenko. The Flames have actually been good on the road as of late, too, winning seven of their last 10 games as the away team. Calgary has looked decent statistically as well. The Flames rank 6th in expected goals percentage (54.89) at 5-on-5 over the last 30 days per Evolving Hockey. That’s not to say we should dismiss the fact that the Flames ranked 24th in 5-on-5 expected goals prior to that, but it’s important to note how the Flames have been trending in that regard.
The odds have also trended toward Calgary. Betway opened up with Calgary listed at +160, but the price has since moved to +150.. A small change, but not an insignificant one, because it means enough money was being bet on the Flames to make the sportsbook adjust their odds.
PRESENTED BY BETWAY
Last Matchup
These two teams last met back on January 20th in Calgary. Dan Vladar allowed two goals on 31 shots, but Stuart Skinner stopped all but one of the 27 shots he faced and the Oilers skated away with a 3-1 victory after adding an empty-net goal. Both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl were held off the score sheet in that game.
Check out Daily Faceoff to get updates regarding the starting lineups and goaltenders.
Team Betting Trends
- The Oilers are 8-2 in their last 10 games versus the Flames, but they’ve only met each other five times in the last two seasons. The Oilers are 5-5 straight up in their last 10 games as the favourite, and 5-5 against the puck line.
- Calgary is 1-5 in its last five trips to Edmonton, and 2-8 in its last 10 road games versus the Oilers. The Flames are 6-4 in their last 10 games as the underdog.
- Edmonton and Calgary are 4-5-1 to the under in the last 10 meetings at Rogers Place.
Player Prop Betting Trends
- Connor McDavid has been putting up a lot of points, but he hasn’t scored a goal in eight games on 23 shots on goal. McDavid does have 29 goals in 39 career games against the Flames, though. He is +110 to score a goal tonight at Betway.
- Leon Draisaitl has six goals and 10 assists in his last 10 games. Draisaitl has 10 goals and 43 assists in 43 career games against the Flames. He is +125 to score a goal tonight, but his odds of scoring a point are -348.
- Nazem Kadri has been a point-per-game player since November 1st, scoring 48 points in 48 games, but he is pointless in three games at Rogers Place as a member of the Flames. Kadri is listed at -143 to score a point.
- Jacob Markstrom is 6-10 straight up versus the Oilers since the start of the 2020-21 season and he’s posted a .885 save percentage and has a goals against average of 3.34. Markstrom allowed four goals on 32 shots when he last faced the Oilers back on Oct. 29th at Commonwealth Stadium.
Best Bets for Oilersnation
McDavid only had 13 shots on goal in the first six games following Edmonton’s 16-game win streak, but he’s registered 10 shots on goal over the last two games. Not to mention, he’s finished on more than 23% of his shots against Calgary in his career. Prior to this recent goal-scoring drought, McDavid was priced at -111 to score a goal at home, so this is a good spot to buy low on everybody’s favourite player to light the lamp given that his odds are sitting at +110.
Bet Connor McDavid Anytime Goal +110
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