Join Daily Faceoff’s Andy MacNeil as he handicaps Wednesday’s matchup between the Edmonton Oilers and San Jose Sharks.
Oilers vs. Sharks Odds
- Edmonton Oilers Moneyline: -210
- San Jose Sharks Moneyline: +175
- Puck Line: Oilers -1.5 (+118), Sharks +1.5 (-145)
- Game Total: 6 (Over -130, Under -115)
Game odds courtesy of Sports Interaction.
Handicapping the Oilers (47-34 SU, 29-52 ATS, 35-45-1 O/U)
The Oilers lost the battle for home-ice advantage on Monday, falling 5-0 to the Kings at Rogers Place. The two teams will meet in the playoffs for the fourth straight year, but this time L.A. holds home ice. Edmonton is still favored after eliminating the Kings three years in a row, though the odds suggest this is their closest matchup yet.
Leon Draisaitl is expected to be ready for Game 1 but likely won’t play before then. Jake Walman is day-to-day, Troy Stetcher is out until the playoffs, and Mattias Ekholm won’t return this season unless the Oilers get past the Kings. Forwards Trent Frederic and Evander Kane are also question marks for Game 1 in Los Angeles. Additionally, defenseman Darnell Nurse has been suspended for one game for his cross-check on Quinton Byfield.
Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman sat out Monday but could return Wednesday in San Jose, according to Jack Michaels. Still, with so many moving pieces, it’s hard to predict how that game will look. Even with the injuries, McDavid is a difference-maker. If he plays, the Oilers should be strong moneyline favorites, but that changes if he sits out again.
Obviously, the Kings are a much better team than San Jose, but Edmonton controlled just 21 percent of the expected goals and 33 percent of the shot attempts at five-on-five against Los Angeles on Monday. If the Oilers play like a lottery team again on Wednesday, they might lose to one.
Handicapping the Sharks (20-61 SU, 48-33 ATS, 37-37-7 O/U)
It would be easy to write off the Sharks heading into Wednesday’s game, but they’ll be playing to win. San Jose is already locked into last place, so there’s no incentive to tank anymore, and even the league’s worst team doesn’t want to finish the season on a double-digit losing streak.
The Sharks have dropped five straight games against the Oilers and are also riding a 10-game losing skid overall. That stretch includes a heartbreaking overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Monday. San Jose led for most of the game but couldn’t close it out, giving up the game-winner with just 18 seconds left in overtime.
Macklin Celebrini opened the scoring on Monday with his 25th goal of the season, which is one more than Philadelphia’s Matvei Michkov. Celebrini leads all rookies in goals this season, but he’s two points behind Calder Trophy favorite Lane Hutson for the scoring lead. The 2024 No. 1 overall pick has two assists and seven shots on goal in three games versus the Oilers this season.
Will Smith has also been on a solid run. The 2023 No. 4 pick scored seven goals and 10 assists in his first 41 games, but since Jan. 20, Smith has scored 12 goals and 18 assists in 33 games. In fact, Celebrini has produced just one more point than Smith over that span, which illustrates just how good the 20-year-old has been.
San Jose is 12-26-2 at home and just 4-17-4 versus the Pacific Division this season, but after losing 13 of 14 games versus the Oilers dating back to 2020, they should be looking to finish the season on a high note.
Best Bet for Oilers vs. Sharks
3-Way result: Regular Time Tie (+360) at Sports Interaction
The Sharks and Oilers have played three close games this season, and Edmonton’s injury situation levels the playing field. Therefore, overtime is in play on Wednesday, and +360 is good value.
