The Edmonton Oilers kick off a mini two-game road trip against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday evening.
The Oilers halted a four-game losing streak by doubling up the Philadelphia Flyers at home last time out, 4-2.
The Penguins have had problems of their own lately, dropping three straight outings, while conceding at least four goals in each of the setbacks.
This is the second and final meeting of the regular season between these teams. Edmonton picked up a 6-3 win at home against Pittsburgh back on Oct. 24.
Will the Oilers be slick on the road, or will the Penguins snap their skid and pick up a much-needed victory? We’ll discuss in our NHL picks and predictions for Oilers vs. Penguins on Thursday, February 23.
Oilers vs Penguins best odds
Oilers vs Penguins picks and predictions
The Oilers cashed last time out, but a road game against the Penguins is a much taller order. Edmonton’s Stuart Skinner allowed just two goals in his return to action, as Jack Campbell had been eating into his playing time a little lately. Regardless of who starts, defense is not a strength for Edmonton, which ranks 21st in goals allowed per game (3.3).
The Oilers head to Pittsburgh without the services of Evander Kane, who will miss both this game and the next game at Columbus due to an upper-body injury. Klim Kostin is also dealing with an illness and is a question mark.
That’s the bad news. The good news is that Leon Draisaitl had a goal and three points on Tuesday. He has lit the lamp in five consecutive outings while posting five goals and nine points during his current six-game point streak. Tyson Barrie is also heating up, notching a power play goal last time out to give him a marker in three straight. NHL player props bettors will want to ride that anytime goal scorer wave until it crashes.
Let's not forget about Connor McDavid, who has multiple points in four straight tilts for Edmonton.
The Penguins might be without Jeff Petry due to illness, and Pittsburgh’s 15th-ranked offense (3.2 goals per game) needs all hands on deck against a strong Oilers squad.
Tristan Jarry is projected to start for the home side. He has been managing a multitude of injuries lately, limiting him to just four games since the ball dropped to ring in 2023. He allowed three goals last time out against the New York Islanders after missing a calendar month due to an upper-body injury. Facing a powerful Edmonton offense is not what he needs as he tries to get back on track.
This is an interesting game, as we have two powerful offenses, and two teams with some goaltending issues. The best bet on the board is the Over, as we should get plenty of firewagon hockey in the Steel City on Thursday night.
My best bet: Over 7 (-105 at BetMGM)
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Oilers vs Penguins moneyline analysis
The Oilers head into this one as short ‘dogs on the road. It’s the first time Edmonton is an underdog since Jan. 14, a 4-3 victory on the road against the Vegas Golden Knights.
In fact, Edmonton is 4-1 outright as an underdog in their past five tries, while cashing on the puckline at a 5-1 clip in their past six as a ‘dog.
The Oilers have had some success on the road recently, going 9-4 in their last 13 trips away from Northern Alberta. The Oilers are just 3-9 in their previous 12 tries against the Metropolitan Division, however, so they come with some risk.
The Penguins were favored on Monday night against the New York Islanders, falling 4-2 on home ice for the second consecutive game at PPG Paints Arena, and the third time overall.
The Pens are slight favorites at home, and they have dropped the past two when favored at home, while failing to cover the puckline as a favorite in each of the past three on home ice.
Pittsburgh is just 8-23 in its last 31 games against winning teams, and 1-4 in its past five games overall. The lean here is to play Edmonton as a slight underdog on the road, parlaying it with the Over in a wild track meet.
Oilers vs Penguins Over/Under analysis
The Oilers have cashed the Over at a 32-15-4 pace across the past 51 games overall, while going high in four of their last five against Eastern Conference teams. The Over is also 15-5-1 in their last 21 games on the road.
Edmonton has lit the lamp four or more times in four straight games, and 13 of the past 16 games overall. You don’t see Over/Under totals of 7 very often, but this game deserves that high line.
In addition, the Oilers have yielded three or more goals in five of their last six outings, allowing 4.5 goals per game during the stretch.
The Penguins have cashed the Over at a 3-1-1 clip in their past five games on home ice, while going 6-2 in the past eight tries against Pacific Division clubs.
Like the Oilers, the Pens have been fishing the puck out of their own net a lot lately, allowing four or more goals in three in a row, and three or more goals in five of the past six outings.
Oilers vs Penguins betting trend to know
The Over is 15-5-1 in the past 21 road games for the Oilers. Find more NHL betting trends for Oilers vs Penguins.
Oilers vs Penguins game info
| Location: | PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA |
| Date: | Thursday, February 23, 2023 |
| Puck drop: | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | Sportsnet, AT&T SportsNet |
Oilers vs Penguins key injuries
