The Edmonton Oilers will be looking to end a two-game losing streak on Wednesday when they hit the road to face the Carolina Hurricanes. The tip-off at PNC Arena is scheduled for 7 PM EST. Edmonton was just beaten 5-3 by the Stanley Cup finalist Florida Panthers on Monday night, adding more disappointment to their brutal start to the campaign. The Canes on the other hand grabbed a 4-2 victory over Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night, improving them to 7-3 in their last 10 games. Despite the Oilers' struggles, this should be an entertaining one with two high-octane offenses on both sides, even though the numbers don't exactly show it quite yet. Continue reading for the Oilers vs Hurricanes picks.
Before we get into the odds and preview, make sure to check out our online sportsbook reviews, and the top NHL betting sites.
Oilers vs Hurricanes Odds
As expected, the Hurricanes head in as a -139 moneyline favorite and are also favored on the puck line. The Oilers come back at +124 while the total is set at 6.5. These two teams have met eight times since 2019, with Carolina winning six of them. Not great news for Edmonton, which really needs to start finding a groove before it's too late.
Brutal Start For Oilers
Every season, the Oilers are seen as a Stanley Cup contender and always fall short, despite having the two best players in the league in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. But so far in 2023-24, Edmonton might have a tough time even making the playoffs this year. The Oilers are seventh in the Pacific Division with a putrid 5-11-1 record. That led to head coach Jay Woodcroft losing his job but his replacement Kris Knoblauch hasn't fared much better, to be honest.
In more ways than one, Edmonton is just not living up to expectations. Defensive and goaltending issues have been a problem for years now and always seem to be what holds them back from making the Stanley Cup, but offense is usually a strength. Not this year. Despite tallying a second-best 34 shots on goal, the Oilers rank 21st with a mere 2.94 goals per game. Their blue line? They're allowing nearly four goals per contest. Far from good enough. McDavid is not himself quite yet, scoring just six goals and tallying nine assists in 15 games. Draisaitl has 16 assists but only six goals, too.
As much as Edmonton wants to blame their struggles on defense, it's clear their offense isn't stepping up like it needs to. Sure, the blue line must be better, but overall, the Oilers just have to improve in all areas. Or else, this season is going to be lost before Christmas rolls around.
Canes Looking Solid
The Hurricanes are a quality team and it shows in their record. Carolina is 10-7-0 and appears to be a serious contender once again. Sebastian Aho is the leading catalyst with five goals and 10 assists, while Seth Jarvis also has 13 points. The Canes have a lot of different weapons that can produce on any given night. Jarvis actually played hero against the Penguins, breaking the 2-2 deadlock in the third period with back-to-back goals, spoiling Crosby's two-goal night in the process.
Aho and veteran defenceman Brent Burns both got on the scoresheet for Carolina, who got back on track after losing to the surprising Flyers a few days prior. The Hurricanes are scoring 3.24 times per game and allowing 3.18 per contest. Both rank around the middle of the pack in the NHL. Nothing outstanding, but it's respectable.
Despite Edmonton's offensive inconsistencies, the Carolina blue line will need to be sharp on Wednesday because McDavid and Draisaitl, among others, are certainly capable of doing damage if given the opportunity to do so. The Hurricanes come into this one with a 4-2 record in their last six and have only lost once at home in six appearances in 2023-24. When it comes to Carolina's offense, they've scored nine times in the previous three games. Perhaps they can take advantage of Edmonton's blue-line problems.
Oilers vs Hurricanes Picks
It's very difficult to bet on the Oilers right now. Plus, they're 2-7-0 on the road and Carolina thrives at PNC Arena, never mind their recent dominance of Edmonton. The pick is obvious here. Hammer the Hurricanes' moneyline.
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