Oilers vs Flames Odds, Picks, and Predictions Tonight: The Battle of Alberta Rides Again

The Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers are getting set for the second Battle of Alberta of the season. The Oilers took the first meeting in Calgary and are looking to do the exact same thing tonight. 

Both teams were on a little bit of a rough stretch leading into Christmas break, with the Oilers going 4-4-2 in their last 10 games while the Flames have gone 4-2-4. That being said, Edmonton has physically looked better than Calgary.

The Flames goaltending has been a little iffy and the Oilers seem to get the best of them lately, so my NHL betting picks and predictions expect Edmonton to grab another road win in Calgary tonight. 

Oilers vs Flames best odds

Oilers vs Flames picks and predictions

It is clear that the Calgary Flames are not at all the same team that they were last season. Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau aren’t playing poorly by any means, but neither is filling the holes left behind by Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk.

Losing those two has torpedoed the Flames' offensive production. Not only are they struggling to score, but Jacob Markstrom isn’t having a strong season either. He enters this contest with an 11-8-4 record, an .894 save percentage, and a 2.84 goals-against average. On a positive note, he does have a +4.7 goals saved above expected. 

Funny enough, the Oilers have typically been the team in this rivalry that had to worry about goaltending, but they may have accidentally found their number-one guy. Edmonton brought in Jack Campbell this summer to be the starter, but Stuart Skinner has been the better of the two. 

A well-rested Oilers offense scares me a little bit. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are leading the league in scoring yet again, and the team is currently skating to a 3.48 xGF/60. I think Edmonton is a much better team than Calgary right now and I love them in this spot as the underdog.  

My best bet: Oilers moneyline (+130 at DraftKings)

Oilers vs Flames moneyline analysis

To no surprise, McDavid has once again been dominating the NHL with 30 goals and 36 assists through 35 games, and Draisaitl is right behind him with 21 tallies plus 35 helpers of his own. These two are so dominant it is almost unfair. 

McDavid torched the Flames in the first meeting of the season, tallying a goal and two assists in the 3-2 win, but he also enters this battle on a 15-game point streak, scoring 14 goals and adding 17 assists in that span. The guy is on fire. 

The Flames are a better defensive team than the Oilers, but the Edmonton offense appropriately trumps Calgary's flimsy defense. The scariest thing about the Oilers right now is that they are finding goal-scoring from players other than McDavid and Draisaitl, which makes them even more dangerous than usual. 

Calgary doesn't have the same intensity that it showed all season last year, and I think Edmonton has the edge tonight. 

Oilers vs Flames Over/Under analysis

It feels like whenever the Flames and Oilers get together, there are a ton of goals being scored, however, that wasn’t the case in October as only five pucks found twine. That being said, this game might be different since both teams are well-rested thanks to Christmas break, so legs should be fresh and the goalies might be rusty. 

Nevertheless, the Over has definitely been a trend in this matchup, hitting in four of the last five meetings in Calgary and five of the last eight overall. To add to that, the Over also happened to have hit in five out of the last six games for the Flames. 

Markstrom and Skinner haven’t been at the top of their game lately so this could be one of those crazy, high-scoring clashes like we saw in the playoffs last year with these teams. I like the Over here. 

Oilers vs Flames betting trend to know

The Oilers are 5-1 in the last six meetings.  Find more NHL betting trends for Oilers vs Flames.

Oilers vs Flames game info

Oilers vs Flames key injuries

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