NHL Friday best bets: Oilers to snap skid in Washington

We had a very strong night on the ice Wednesday, winning both best bets - as well as two of three props - to give us a fruitful 4-1 evening.

We'll look to pick up where we left off with a pair of plays for Friday's juicy card.

The Oilers are a disaster this season. There is no way around that. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl haven't scored like they usually do, while defensive issues and horrendous goaltending have proved costly too many times.

Regardless, I think they deserve to be bigger favorites against this Capitals team. The Capitals have won five in a row and eight of 10, but there are a lot of reasons to suggest they are frauds.

Take their five-game winning streak, for example. The Capitals beat the Devils who were missing Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, got .973 goaltending from Hunter Shepard against the Islanders, inched by a bad Blue Jackets team while being outshot by double digits, and scored a tying goal against the Sabres with a minute left before winning with eight seconds remaining in overtime.

In situations like this, we often hear about a team of destiny that knows how to win. But I think the Capitals are just getting lucky.

Their 40.53% expected goals share over the past five games is barely better than the Sharks'. They are giving up a lot of chances, generating very little, and still getting win after win. Hats off to them for getting results when they're not deserved, but sooner or later those issues will catch up to them.

The Oilers have more high-end talent, a better five-on-five profile, and they'll be desperate for a result after three straight losses. Look for them to grind out a win in Washington.

Bet: Oilers (-130)

The Jets are on a nice 5-1 run, but they have not played as well as their record indicates. They have controlled 43.75% of the expected goals share at five-on-five, putting them ahead of only the Sharks, Canadiens, and Capitals - not the company you want to keep.

While the Jets were winning a lot of games earlier in the year on the back of strong five-on-five play and team defense, that has not been the case of late. Goaltending has done the heavy lifting.

There's nothing wrong with asking your goaltender to steal a game once in a while - that's what Connor Hellebuyck is there for - but it's not a recipe for consistent success, especially against high-end opponents.

If the Jets aren't drastically better at even strength, they are going to be in for a tough night.

The Panthers are lethal offensively and dominate territorially on a nightly basis. The returns of defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour make them that much better at both ends of the ice.

I expect the Panthers to control the run of play in this one against a Jets side that could really use Gabriel Vilardi back in the lineup.

If Hellebuyck doesn't stand on his head, I have a hard time believing the Jets will win this game.

The Panthers are simply giving up so little defensively - and taking very few penalties - while generating nearly 35 shots per game on home ice.

Not to mention, the expectation is captain Aleksander Barkov will return to the lineup. He'll make a huge impact at both ends of the ice.

Bet: Panthers (-135)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ToddCordell.

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