Betsided

Top NHL Picks and Predictions Today (Best Bets for Oilers vs. Avalanche Game 2)

By Iain MacMillan

The Oilers and Avalanche will play in Game 2 on Thursday night.
The Oilers and Avalanche will play in Game 2 on Thursday night. / Harry How/GettyImages
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The New York Rangers upset the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final, which drops my NHL Playoff betting record to 35-35-1 (-0.03 units). At least I did hit one of the props that I gave out, which was Igor Shesterkin OVER 28.5 saves.

I have a lot to say about that game, but I'll save that for another article.

Game 2 between the Edmonton Oilers and Colorado Avalanche is tonight, so let's dive into my best bets for that game. The odds for my main bet are courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook, while the odds for my two prop bets are consensus.

Best NHL Bets for Oilers vs. Avalanche Game 2

  • OVER 7 (-130)
  • Connor McDavid Anytime Goal (+110)
  • Evander Kane OVER 3.5 Shots on Goal (-115)

Oilers vs. Avalanche OVER 7 (-130)

I see no reason to not just continue to bet on the OVER. I know that the total is set at 7 with the OVER juiced to -130, but I truly don't know if they can set the total high enough in this series moving forward.

If you think it was just bad goaltending that led to the high-scoring affair on Tuesday night, let me show you the "expected goals" metric. The Avalanche had an expected goals per 60 minutes of 4.48, and the Oilers' expected goals was 4.06. So, even if you take bad goaltending out of the equation, there was still a combined expected goals of 8.54, which is INSANE.

Furthermore, the two teams combined for a total of 37 high-danger scoring chances. Defense is apparently optional in the Western Conference Final.

I'm rooting for no defense and plenty more goals on Thursday night!

Connor McDavid Anytime Goal (+110)

Connor McDavid has shown in both series so far these playoffs that he's not just going to go quietly into the night. He's going to fight tooth and nail to keep the Oilers in this series, and if that means taking action into his own hands, he's going to do it.

The fact that you can get this at plus-money tonight is a gift, especially if you think we're going to see a plethora of goals being scored.

Evander Kane OVER 3.5 Shots on Goal (-115)

Evander Kane has been a fantastic edition for the Oilers this season, and he's benefitting heavily from playing on a line alongside McDavid. He's surpassed five shots in two of his last four games, and the top line is going to need to be buzzing tonight if the Oilers want to even the series.

I think we're getting good value on an underrated player to rack up at least four shots tonight.

You can track Iain's bets on Betstamp here.

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