Oilers vs Penguins Odds, Picks, and Predictions Tonight: Edmonton Starts Strong Against Pittsburgh

The Edmonton Oilers are coming off a disappointing loss, but one thing that stood out was their strong first period. With Pittsburgh often starting games slow, our NHL picks expect Edmonton to come out flying.

Chris Faria - Betting Analyst at Covers.com
Chris Faria • Betting Analyst
Mar 10, 2024 • 10:24 ET • 4 min read
Connor McDavid Edmonton Oilers NHL
Photo By - USA TODAY Sports

The Edmonton Oilers will try to snap a two-game losing streak when they skate into PPG Paints Arena as the NHL odds to a quick start against Pittsburgh, which has just one win in its last six games.

Find out why I like the visitors to get back into the win column this afternoon in my Oilers vs Penguins free NHL picks and predictions for Sunday, March 10.

Oilers vs Penguins odds

Oilers vs Penguins predictions

Ryan McLeod opened the scoring just 29 seconds into the contest and Warren Foegele made it 2-0 in the opening frame, but the Edmonton Oilers went on to take a disappointing 3-2 shootout loss against the Sabres Saturday afternoon.

Regardless of the loss, it was another strong start for the Oilers, who have been one of the NHL’s best first period teams this season. Edmonton has scored 68 first-period goals — tied for third most in the league — while holding a +8 differential in the opening frame (seventh). I’ll look for the Oilers to win the first period against the Pittsburgh Penguins as my best bet for today’s matchup.

The Penguins sit at the other end of the leaderboard in that category as they’ve been one of the league’s lowest-scoring teams in the opening 20 minutes. The Pens have scored just 48 tallies in the first period — tied for fourth fewest — and own a -5 goal differential in the opening frame.

Edmonton has scored first in three of its last five games while Pittsburgh has done so just twice in its last nine outings, so we’ll likely see the Oilers own the first period once again.

My best bet: Oilers first period -1 (+320 at SIA)

Oilers vs Penguins same-game parlay

Oilers -0.5 first period

Oilers moneyline

Under 6.5

While I’ll look for the Oilers to win the opening frame, I’ll also take them on the moneyline as the clear favorite on paper. The Penguins were already well out of a playoff spot and just traded Jake Guentzel, so they’ll likely see their already mediocre offense take a step back and struggle to keep up with a high-powered Edmonton attack.

Pittsburgh has scored more than one goal just once in its last four contests and has been shut out twice in its last six outings. Even if the Oilers put up four of five, the Penguins likely won’t generate enough to get this one to seven goals.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

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Oilers vs Penguins moneyline and Over/Under analysis

The Oilers skate into this afternoon’s matchup as the road favorite at -155 on the moneyline and look poised get back into the win column against a Penguins team that’s 1-5-0 over their last six contests.

Pittsburgh’s play has taken a dip at both ends of the rink during its six-game slump as they're allowing 4.33 goals per game while scoring just 1.67 gpg. With Guentzel dealt to the Hurricanes at the trade deadline, Pittsburgh now has just one player on its roster with at least 20 goals and 50 points — Sidney Crosby — and will likely continue to struggle offensively the rest of the way.

At the other end of the ice, Draisaitl and McDavid have been lighting up the score sheet through the start of this month, combining for 14 points in just four games. The pair racked up a goal and four assists vs Pittsburgh last weekend and should continue its scoring ways against a Pens defense that’s allowed four or more goals in four of their last five outings.

Today’s total opened at 6.5 goals and I think a sluggish Pittsburgh attack will push this game towards the Under. Crosby has cooled off with just one assist in his last four games, while Reilly Smith is the only point per game player for Pittsburgh so far this month. 

Meanwhile, even Edmonton has cooled off offensively of late with just two goals in each of its last three contests. The Oilers are scoring just 2.89 gpg over their last nine games and have tallied more than three goals just twice over that span.

Oilers vs Penguins betting trend to know

The Oilers are 5-0 in the last five meetings between these teams. Find more NHL betting trends for Oilers vs. Penguins.

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Oilers vs Penguins game info

Location: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
Date: Sunday, March 10, 2024
Puck drop: 1:00 p.m. ET
TV: TNT, Sportsnet

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Chris Faria - Covers
Betting Analyst

After writing a few pieces for the Varsity newspaper during his time at the University of Toronto, Chris Faria's career in sports truly began in 2019 when he attended the sports journalism program at Centennial College. Since then, he’s covered virtually every sport under the sun, having written for several different outlets including Covers and the Canadian Olympic Committee. A lifelong hockey fan and player, Chris currently works full-time for the National Hockey League.

Outside of hockey, he’s also an avid poker player and mixed martial arts fan, which is coincidentally his favorite sport to bet on – usually in the form of a parlay on bet365. The main lesson he’s learned from years of betting is bankroll management: "Never bet more than you’re comfortable losing and never chase your losses."

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