Canadian Tire Centre is playing host an East-West showdown as the Edmonton Oilers face off against the Ottawa Senators. It’s the last time that these two clubs will meet in the regular season. The action will get going at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 22, and fans at home can watch the game live on Sportsnet West.
Edmonton Oilers vs. Ottawa Senators Odds
Edmonton heads into the game as the favorite with a -120 moneyline. The line for Ottawa sits at +100 and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at 6 goals. The odds for betting the total sit at -110 for the over and -110 for the under.
Edmonton is 32-41 straight up (SU) and has lost 15.3 units for moneyline bettors thus far. Through 73 regular season outings, 35 of its games have gone under the total, while 34 have gone over and just four have pushed. This 2017-18 Oilers team is 16-21 SU on the road.
Edmonton has converted on just 14.3 percent of its power play opportunities this season, a mark that’s ranked 32nd in the NHL. Additionally, its penalty kill is ranked 31st out of 31 teams, and the team’s successfully killed off only 75.1 percent of its penalties.
The Oilers, as a collective unit, have been penalized 3.7 times per game overall in the 2017-18 season, 4.0 per game over its last five outings total, and 4.2 per game over its last five on the road. The team’s been forced to kill penalties 8.5 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Averaging 27.7 saves per game with a .908 save percentage, Cam Talbot (28-30-2) has been the primary option in goal for Edmonton this year. If it decides to give him a rest, however, head coach Todd Mclellan may go with Laurent Brossoit (3-10-1 record, .886 save percentage, 3.22 goals against average).
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will both be offensive focal points for the visiting Oilers. McDavid (90 points) is up to 34 goals and 56 assists, and has recorded multiple points in 26 different games. Draisaitl has 23 goals and 43 assists to his name (and has registered a point in 41 games).
On the other bench, Ottawa is 26-46 straight up (SU) and has lost 16.1 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 72 regular season matches, 38 of its games have gone over the total, while 34 have gone under and none have pushed. It’s 15-21 SU at home this season.
The Senators have converted on just 16.8 percent of their power play chances this year, a figure that places them in the bottom 5 overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 29th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 75.2 percent of all penalties.
Ottawa players have been penalized only 3.5 times per game in total this season, and 2.2 per game over their last five home outings. The team has been forced to defend opponent power plays just 5.8 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Craig Anderson (27.3 saves per game) has been the top netminder in goal for the Senators. Anderson has 22 wins, 30 losses, and six overtime losses to his name and has recorded a mediocre 3.26 goals against average and a poor .901 save percentage this season.
The Sens offense will be led by Mark Stone (20 goals, 42 assists).
Edmonton Oilers vs. Ottawa Senators Betting Predictions
Pick: SU Winner – Oilers, O/U – Under
Betting Notes
- Edmonton is 4-1 in games decided by a shootout this season while Ottawa is 2-7 in shootouts.
- The total has gone over in three of Ottawa’s last five games.
- This game features two of the tougher teams in the league. Edmonton skaters have accounted for the league’s second-most hits per game (26.8) while the Sens have handed the seventh-most (23.9).
