NHL Wednesday betting preview: Oilers hit it big in Vegas
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No excuses after we slumped to a 1-3 night on Tuesday - in maddeningly frustrating fashion.
We've had a bit of tough stretch, hovering at or below .500 for the bulk of the past week following a pretty lengthy winning run. Let's get back to our old ways, starting tonight.
GOATs and scapegoatsBrayden Schenn scored 33 seconds into last night's game, setting the tone for the St. Louis Blues' 6-5 win as their contest against the Chicago Blackhawks sailed over the total for our lone Tuesday win.
It really shouldn't have been our lone win, though. In fact, it's sickening that it was. We had over 5.5 goals for the game in Raleigh. After the Dallas Stars jumped out to a 3-0 first-period lead and held a 4-1 advantage just over 10 minutes into the second frame, we needed one goal in the last 27 minutes of action. Literally just one goal. We got nothing, despite the Carolina Hurricanes firing 18 shots on goal in the third period. Thanks a lot, Anton Khudobin.
Wednesday betsBuffalo Sabres/Colorado Avalanche under 6 (-105)
The Avalanche have changed their approach slightly in the absence of Philipp Grubauer, playing stingier defensive hockey. As a result, the under is 4-1 in Colorado's last five home games. Pavel Francouz has also played well between the pipes. The Czech netminder has posted a .938 save percentage in February while allowing two or fewer goals in each of his starts, with a 4-3 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning the lone exception. With all due respect to the Sabres, Buffalo is no Tampa.
The Sabres have scored just six goals in three road games against Western Conference teams in the 2020 calendar year. The over is 1-1-1 in those contests, but none of those tilts saw more than six goals. This total feels a bit too high.
Best betEdmonton Oilers' team total over 2.5 (-110)
This is a tough spot for the Oilers, who are playing the second leg of a back-to-back in Vegas after losing in Anaheim in overtime last night. But it's a spot in which they've managed to excel all season. Edmonton is 5-0-0 in road games played on zero days' rest this season and 6-0-0 on no rest overall, scoring at least three goals in every one of those contests.
The Golden Knights have been playing good hockey, winning six in a row, but they still have issues on defense. Vegas has allowed three or more goals in six of its last eight games. At such a short price, how could you not back the Oilers' streak to continue?
Trend of the nightThe Pittsburgh Penguins have scored at least four goals in each of their last four road games against Western Conference teams. They've done the same in six of their last seven on the road against non-conference opponents, and eight of their 11 total contests in that situation this season.
The only Western road games in which Pittsburgh failed to net four tallies were against the Blues, Dallas Stars, and Vancouver Canucks. The Los Angeles Kings, meanwhile, have allowed three or more goals in seven of their last nine home games and are 2-6-1 over that span. You can get the Penguins' team total over 3.5 at -110 if you're feeling up to it.
Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.
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