Two superstars, Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid are set to collide tonight, with the Pittsburgh Penguins visiting the Edmonton Oilers.
All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Pittsburgh Penguins (-102) vs. Edmonton Oilers (-118) Total: 7 (O +114, U -140)
It’s been a quality start to the season for Crosby and the Penguins, who’ve jumped out to a 4-0-1 start to the regular season, while the Oilers have struggled to find consistency and are 2-3. It’s been difficult to stop the Pens as they’ve scored 26 goals through five games but have also played solid in the defensive end, allowing just 11 goals. On the other hand, goals haven’t come at the rate you’d expect from the Oilers, with just 16 through five games. That’s bound to correct itself, considering that this is probably the deepest Oilers roster we’ve seen in the McDavid era.
Entering this matchup, the Oilers are listed as slight home favorites at -118, while the streaking Pens sit at -102 on the moneyline. The Pens are visiting Western Canada, playing the first leg of a back-to-back tonight, which should see one of Tristian Jarry or Casey DeSmith make the start in goal. Both goalies have looked good in a limited sample, Jarry posting a 4-0 record with a .941 save percentage, while DeSmith is 0-0-1 with a .923. Whoever the Penguins decide to start in the goal should give them an edge in net over Jack Campbell of the Oilers, who’s posted a 2-2 record with a .889 save percentage.
The Oilers have hardly looked impressive through five games, and it won’t get any easier against a strong Penguins team. Edmonton will find a way to right the ship, but it’s hard to see them doing that against the surging Pens, so siding with the value the visitors present on the moneyline at -102 is the direction we’ll be looking.
Best Bet: Penguins moneyline (-102)
The oddsmakers are tempting us to look toward the over in this matchup, and we’ll bite. The Oilers cleaned things up defensively in their 2-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues on the weekend, but for a run-and-gun style hockey team, it’s hard to see that continuing against a Penguins team that has had no trouble scoring goals. If the Oilers have any hope of being in this hockey game, they’ll need to find a way to put goals on the board, so there’s some direct value in looking toward the over seven, priced at +114.
Best Bet: Over 7 (+114)
A big reason for the Pens’ early success has been their captain. Crosby has been sensational early in his age-35 season, tallying ten points through five games. Crosby and the Pens are set to go up against an Oilers team that has struggled to keep pucks out of their net, which should help him rack up points. The 5’11 center is listed at +150 to record a multi-point game.
Best Prop: Sidney Crosby to Record Over 1.5 Points (+150)
