Oilers vs Lightning Odds, Picks, and Predictions Tonight: Kuchy & Stammer Power Tampa

The Edmonton Oilers find themselves in the midst of a three-game skid after falling to Washington last night. Now, they must try to get right against a Tampa Bay Lightning team coming off three days of rest.

One of the biggest stories that came from Edmonton's loss last night was its piss-poor penalty kill, which was scored on four times in five attempts. With such a quick turnaround, can the PK unit pull their big boy pants up and stop a loaded Tampa power play?

I answer that question and more in my NHL betting picks and predictions for the Oilers vs. Lightning on Tuesday, November 8.

Oilers vs Lightning best odds

Oilers vs Lightning picks and predictions

I want you to think back to the time you foolishly put leftovers in the fridge that you damn well knew were never going to get touched. Now, think about when three weeks later you're cleaning out your fridge, and you open up that Tupperware dish to throw it out. Remember how stinky that food was? Well, that's almost as stinky as the Edmonton Oilers' penalty-killing unit.

Through its first 13 games, Edmonton's PK ranks 30th in the league with a 67.1% success rate while playing shorthanded. It's even more embarrassing when you factor in the only two teams with a worse penalty kill are the Ducks and Canucks.

The percentage is an issue on its own, but when you factor in that the Oilers have taken 56 penalties already this season (over 4.3 per game) this team has a serious issue. Poor decisions cost them the game in Washington last night — allowing four PP goals on five attempts — and their defense is already poopy enough without having to play a man down.

Now, let's look at their opponent's man advantage numbers and see how we can bully Edmonton's poor PK. The Tampa Bay Lightning are as offensively gifted as they come, and their 11th-ranked power play (24.5%) embodies that statement. This is a reliable PP unit and one that we can bank on to do damage to the Oilers. And as stated above, it's not like Tampa will be lacking chances.

The most common PP1 squad the Lightning have run with this year includes both Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov — which one should we zone in on today?

Kuchy has 20 points on the year, with eight coming on the man advantage. Meanwhile, Stamkos also has eight of his 13 points coming on the PP. So, you know what? We're parlaying this sucker and banking on both of these studs to get a point while they are a man (or two) up.

The star duo has registered at least one point on the man advantage in four of the last five games, and I expect them to get plenty of chances to get another one tonight.

My best bet: SGP: Steven Stamkos + Nikita Kucherov Over 0.5 power play points (+125 at bet365)

Oilers vs Lightning moneyline analysis

NHL odds pegged Tampa Bay as a -178 favorite on the moneyline and it still remains around there as of writing. I didn't ride with a side bet for my best bet, but if I had to choose I would avoid the steep moneyline price altogether and go for the puck line.

Let's break this down, shall we? Edmonton played last night in Washington and traveled to Tampa, where the Lightning greet them on three days' rest. The Oilers' penalty kill is 30th in the league, and Tampa's power play is 11th. Edmonton is expected to start Jack Campbell (4.21 GAA, .874 SV%) and the Bolts are expected to start Andrei Vasilevskiy (2.87 GAA, .911 SV%).

To make a long story short, Edmonton finds itself in a really tough schedule spot, and that's never good news against the Lightning. Not only do I think the Oilers lose their fourth straight tonight, I think they get their asses wholeheartedly spanked and lose by at least two.

Oilers vs Lightning Over/Under analysis

As of writing, the total for this game is set at an expensive 6.5, and this could tick up to 7.0 before puck drop. Both teams boast some of the league's most effective weapons, and anytime they touch the ice, there's a high chance of fireworks. Edmonton and Tampa have identical 7-4 O/U records up to this point, but the Oilers are on a bit of a hot streak toward the Over, going 3-0-1 that way in their last four.

Factoring in the Bolts' strong power play and Edmonton's weak PK, most of this game's signs point to the total soaring past 6.5. I won't have a play on the total tonight, but if I had to lean it would be toward the Over.

Oilers vs Lightning betting trend to know

The Over is 3-0-1 in the Oilers' last four games overall. Find more NHL betting trends for Oilers vs Lightning.

Oilers vs Lightning game info

Oilers vs Lightning key injuries

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