<p>Eight more teams will kick off their seasons on Wednesday, including the Oilers, who enter <a href="https://oilersnation.com/schedule">the 2024-25 season</a> as the favourites to win the Stanley Cup at 7/1 odds after coming within one goal of a championship last season. The Oilers will host the Winnipeg Jets at Rogers Place in Edmonton, and this article breaks it all down from a betting perspective.</p>
<h2>Oilers vs. Jets Odds</h2>
<ul>
<li>Edmonton Oilers Moneyline: -165</li>
<li>Winnipeg Jets Moneyline: +140</li>
<li>Puck Line: Jets +1.5 (-175), Oilers -1.5 (+145)</li>
<li>Game Total: 6.5 (Over +100, Under +120)</li>
</ul>
<p><em>Odds courtesy of Sports Interaction.</em></p>
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<h2>Matchup</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Networks may hype this as a heavyweight clash between Cup contenders, but the betting market paints it as more of a mismatch than a true title fight. The Oilers have three players that scored at a point per game pace last season, including Connor McDavid, while Winnipeg didn&#8217;t have a single player exceed 72 points. In fact, only one member of the Jets has exceeded 80 points in the last three seasons.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400"> Edmonton went 1-5 at home to start last season, but then <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/oilersnation-radio-jay-woodcroft-out-kris-knoblauch-in">Knoblauch took over</a> and the Oilers posted a 27-5-3 record the rest of the way at Rogers Place. Winnipeg was excellent on the road last year, going 25-13-3 but that hasn’t been the norm for the Jets, or their goaltender.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Check out Daily Faceoff to get updates regarding the </span><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400">line combinations</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> and </span><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/starting-goalies" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400">goaltenders </span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">for Wednesday’s season opener in Edmonton.</span></p>
<h2>Handicapping the Oilers</h2>
<p>Edmonton boasts the league’s highest regular season point total at 108.5, while Winnipeg sits mid-pack at 96.5. Still, plenty of fans are backing the Jets. Winnipeg opened as a bigger underdog a few weeks ago, prompting sportsbooks to adjust their odds, shifting the Oilers’ moneyline from -175 to -165. To the uninitiated, that may not seem like much, but a small shift in odds—just one or two percentage points—can make or break a bettor&#8217;s season.</p>
<p>Personally, I wouldn’t bet on Edmonton to beat Winnipeg at -175 because I determined -170 was a fair price, but I’d strongly consider wagering on the Oilers at -165, or better, because it’s been a profitable strategy. Under Kris Knoblauch last season, Edmonton won 21 of 25 home games when their moneyline odds were -150 or higher, and betting one unit on the Oilers in those games would have yielded over five units of profit. Not to mention, the Oilers won 18 of those games in regulation and covered the puck line (won by two goals or more) 17 times.</p>
<h3>My best bet</h3>
<h4>Viktor Arvidsson Anytime Goal (+230)</h4>
<p>Arvidsson has never skated alongside a player as talented as Leon Draisaitl, nor has he been on a team as skilled as the Oilers. While he’s tough to predict long-term—having played just 18 games in 2023-24 and never completing a full 82-game season in his decade-long career—<a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/what-viktor-arvidsson-brings-to-the-edmonton-oilers">we know what Edmonton is getting</a>, barring injury: a player who can put the puck in the net.</p>
<p>My approach is to target Arvidsson to score on a game-by-game basis while keeping an eye on the odds, as sportsbooks will quickly adjust if there’s any sign of the two-time 30-goal scorer developing chemistry with Draisaitl.</p>
<h2>Handicapping the Jets</h2>
<p>Winnipeg wasn&#8217;t expected to crack 90 points last season, let alone challenge for a Central Division title, but the Jets defied expectations, racking up 110 points and finishing second in the division. It was their second-best season ever, yet the general consensus is they’ll take a step back this year. However, a key reason for this is the absence of a quality backup like Laurent Brossoit, and that won’t be a factor on Wednesday. <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/starting-goalies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hellebuyck has already been confirmed as the starter</a>.</p>
<p>Hellebuyck, who won 37 games for the second consecutive season and captured his second Vezina Trophy, also posted the best road record of his career (20-9-1). However, neither he nor the Jets have a strong history of dominating on the road. Winnipeg went 9-6 as road underdogs last season, which was essentially breakeven. While defeating the Oilers would make a bold statement and force pundits to reconsider their predictions, from a betting perspective, I’m more inclined to back individual players than the team as a whole.</p>
<h3>My best bet</h3>
<h4>Gabriel Vilardi Anytime Goal (+250)</h4>
<p>Vilardi has also had a tough time staying healthy, playing 25, 63, and 47 games over the last three seasons, but at 25, the potential is still there. The former No. 11 overall pick scored at a 30-goal pace in 2022-23, and nearly a 40-goal pace last season. Vilardi is listed at +250 to score a goal on Wednesday.</p>
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<p>However, in terms of goals per game, Vilardi (0.41) isn’t far behind Mark Scheifele (0.43) or Kyle Connor (0.44) over the last two seasons, yet the odds suggest they&#8217;re much more likely to score. Vilardi will be playing alongside Scheifele and Connor on the top line and top power play unit, and I believe he’s just as good a bet to score given his longer odds.</p>


Edmonton Oilers Viktor Arvidsson and Evan Bouchard

Eight more teams will kick off their seasons on Wednesday, including the Oilers, who enter <a href="https://oilersnation.com/schedule">the 2024-25 season</a> as the favourites to win the Stanley Cup at 7/1 odds after coming within one goal of a championship last season. The Oilers will host the Winnipeg Jets at Rogers Place in Edmonton, and this article breaks it all down from a betting perspective.
<h2>Oilers vs. Jets Odds</h2>
<ul>
 	<li>Edmonton Oilers Moneyline: -165</li>
 	<li>Winnipeg Jets Moneyline: +140</li>
 	<li>Puck Line: Jets +1.5 (-175), Oilers -1.5 (+145)</li>
 	<li>Game Total: 6.5 (Over +100, Under +120)</li>
</ul>
<em>Odds courtesy of Sports Interaction.</em>
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<h2>Matchup</h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400">Networks may hype this as a heavyweight clash between Cup contenders, but the betting market paints it as more of a mismatch than a true title fight. The Oilers have three players that scored at a point per game pace last season, including Connor McDavid, while Winnipeg didn't have a single player exceed 72 points. In fact, only one member of the Jets has exceeded 80 points in the last three seasons.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400"> Edmonton went 1-5 at home to start last season, but then <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/oilersnation-radio-jay-woodcroft-out-kris-knoblauch-in">Knoblauch took over</a> and the Oilers posted a 27-5-3 record the rest of the way at Rogers Place. Winnipeg was excellent on the road last year, going 25-13-3 but that hasn’t been the norm for the Jets, or their goaltender.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400">Check out Daily Faceoff to get updates regarding the </span><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400">line combinations</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> and </span><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/starting-goalies" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400">goaltenders </span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">for Wednesday’s season opener in Edmonton.</span>
<h2>Handicapping the Oilers</h2>
Edmonton boasts the league’s highest regular season point total at 108.5, while Winnipeg sits mid-pack at 96.5. Still, plenty of fans are backing the Jets. Winnipeg opened as a bigger underdog a few weeks ago, prompting sportsbooks to adjust their odds, shifting the Oilers’ moneyline from -175 to -165. To the uninitiated, that may not seem like much, but a small shift in odds—just one or two percentage points—can make or break a bettor's season.

Personally, I wouldn’t bet on Edmonton to beat Winnipeg at -175 because I determined -170 was a fair price, but I’d strongly consider wagering on the Oilers at -165, or better, because it’s been a profitable strategy. Under Kris Knoblauch last season, Edmonton won 21 of 25 home games when their moneyline odds were -150 or higher, and betting one unit on the Oilers in those games would have yielded over five units of profit. Not to mention, the Oilers won 18 of those games in regulation and covered the puck line (won by two goals or more) 17 times.
<h3>My best bet</h3>
<h4>Viktor Arvidsson Anytime Goal (+230)</h4>
Arvidsson has never skated alongside a player as talented as Leon Draisaitl, nor has he been on a team as skilled as the Oilers. While he’s tough to predict long-term—having played just 18 games in 2023-24 and never completing a full 82-game season in his decade-long career—<a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/what-viktor-arvidsson-brings-to-the-edmonton-oilers">we know what Edmonton is getting</a>, barring injury: a player who can put the puck in the net.

My approach is to target Arvidsson to score on a game-by-game basis while keeping an eye on the odds, as sportsbooks will quickly adjust if there’s any sign of the two-time 30-goal scorer developing chemistry with Draisaitl.
<h2>Handicapping the Jets</h2>
Winnipeg wasn't expected to crack 90 points last season, let alone challenge for a Central Division title, but the Jets defied expectations, racking up 110 points and finishing second in the division. It was their second-best season ever, yet the general consensus is they’ll take a step back this year. However, a key reason for this is the absence of a quality backup like Laurent Brossoit, and that won’t be a factor on Wednesday. <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/starting-goalies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hellebuyck has already been confirmed as the starter</a>.

Hellebuyck, who won 37 games for the second consecutive season and captured his second Vezina Trophy, also posted the best road record of his career (20-9-1). However, neither he nor the Jets have a strong history of dominating on the road. Winnipeg went 9-6 as road underdogs last season, which was essentially breakeven. While defeating the Oilers would make a bold statement and force pundits to reconsider their predictions, from a betting perspective, I’m more inclined to back individual players than the team as a whole.
<h3>My best bet</h3>
<h4>Gabriel Vilardi Anytime Goal (+250)</h4>
Vilardi has also had a tough time staying healthy, playing 25, 63, and 47 games over the last three seasons, but at 25, the potential is still there. The former No. 11 overall pick scored at a 30-goal pace in 2022-23, and nearly a 40-goal pace last season. Vilardi is listed at +250 to score a goal on Wednesday.
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However, in terms of goals per game, Vilardi (0.41) isn’t far behind Mark Scheifele (0.43) or Kyle Connor (0.44) over the last two seasons, yet the odds suggest they're much more likely to score. Vilardi will be playing alongside Scheifele and Connor on the top line and top power play unit, and I believe he’s just as good a bet to score given his longer odds.

NHL Betting Preview (Oct. 9): Oilers vs. Jets Odds

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