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NHL Sunday Betting Preview: Edmonton Faces Another Test

Oilers Try To Sweep Tough Back-To-Back

A jam-packed NHL weekend continues with an eight-game Sunday, highlighted by a marquee matchup between the Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes. Edmonton still doesn’t look like an elite team, but with improved goaltending and overall defensive play under interim coach Jay Woodcroft, the Oilers are certainly a contender that can get even better at the trade deadline.

Let’s go through all eight of Sunday’s games and give some info to help if you’re betting online:

Aleksander Barkov scores Sunday Preview
Joel Auerbach/Getty Images/AFP

Edmonton Oilers vs Carolina Hurricanes

A day after an impressive 4-3 win over the Florida Panthers on the road, the Oilers back at it in Raleigh against a tough opponent in the Hurricanes. Edmonton got a surprising boost from Derek Ryan on Saturday, as the usually low-scoring forward put together his first NHL hat trick. Carolina has won four straight and is 18-4-2 at home.

Edmonton could turn back to Mike Smith in net to give Mikko Koskinen a breather. The goalie and rest disadvantages for the Oilers make this a game the Hurricanes definitely have a sizable edge in.

Carolina is a pretty big favorite here but taking the Hurricanes on the puckline again Edmonton, even with Smith in goal, is a big risky. Consider parlaying Carolina to win in regulation with the over because there should be a bunch of goals in this one.

Buffalo Sabres vs Dallas Stars

The Sabres are in the midst of a five-game losing streak and have lost eight of 10, so they’re a desperate team as they visit the Stars on Sunday. Buffalo has been really bad on the road this season and Dallas has been a great home team, so this could be a tough one for the Sabres who have given up four or more goals in their last four games.

Dallas is a huge home favorite so there isn’t even much value on the Stars on the puckline. If you want a big-value play, take Buffalo as a moneyline underdog but that’s obviously a risky move. The under is low but that could also be the play.

St. Louis Blues vs Chicago Blackhawks

The Blues are surging again, having won three straight and five of six heading into a meeting with the Blackhawks in the Windy City. Chicago is coming off a wild 8-5 win over the New Jersey Devils in which both Brandon Hagel and Patrick Kane had hat tricks. The defensive resistance the Blackhawks face from the Blues should be a bit higher, though, especially with Ville Husso in net.

St. Louis has scored four or more goals in five of six games to go with Husso’s — and Jordan Binnington in a spot start — typically great play between the pipes. The Blues are solidly favored on the road here and taking them on the puckline is a smart idea.

Winnipeg Jets vs Arizona Coyotes

The Jets have lost four in a row, so the desperation factor should be an important one in how Winnipeg plays against the Coyotes on Sunday. Arizona has had a pair of nice wins in the past week — over the Los Angeles Kings and the Vegas Golden Knights — and will look to keep the positive momentum going, like with Scott Wedgewood in net with how good he has been in his last three starts.

Winnipeg is a sizable road favorite on the NHL betting lines but you should take the Coyotes on the moneyline because there’s great value there. The Jets are so inconsistent that it’s impossible to know what to expect from them on a nightly basis.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Columbus Blue Jackets

Pittsburgh snapped a three-game losing streak on Saturday, shutting out the New York Rangers 1-0, and will try to keep it going against the Blue Jackets, whose four-game winning streak was ended by the Hurricanes on Friday.

The Penguins might give Tristan Jarry the night off in favor of Casey DeSmith, which would be a big boost to Columbus. The Blue Jackets also have the rest advantage but are still relying on Jean-Francois Berube in net. Berube has been great through four starts, yet it’s asking a lot of him to go from playing in the AHL to starting nearly every night in the NHL.

On the BetUS sportsbook, the Penguins are pretty big road favorites. Taking Pittsburgh on the puckline is an intriguing option. However, it’s safer to just take the Penguins to win in regulation at slightly worse odds. The under is a good bet too.

Vancouver Canucks vs New York Rangers

The Rangers will look to kickstart their offense against the Vancouver Canucks at MSG after going cold in Pittsburgh yesterday. Vancouver has won four of five and has had a bit of an offensive resurgence, scoring four or more goals in each of the Canucks’ last four games.

Vancouver also could get a break with Igor Shesterskin having the night off after making eight straight starts. Alexander Georgiev is a capable backup but he’s not even close to as good as Shesterkin, who has singlehandedly made the Rangers a contender this season with his Vezina-level play.

New York is only a slight home favorite with Georgiev’s start factoring in. The Canucks are the team you should back here. The Rangers have lost four of Georgiev’s last five starts and are a pretty mediocre team when Shesterkin doesn’t play.

New York Islanders vs Anaheim Ducks

The last thing the Islanders needed after a disappointing 5-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings last night is another road game on no rest. But, that’s exactly what Barry Trotz’s team has to deal with as New York visits the Ducks on Sunday, possibly without Mat Barzal and Zdeno Chara.

It has been a rough road trip for the Islanders who have lost three of four and six of eight. The Ducks also lost to the Kings in their last time out and are in desperate need of offensive production from its bottom-six forwards. Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras can’t do it all for Anaheim, even if they’re trying to.

Anaheim is a very slight home favorite but this game is close to a pick’em. Go with the Ducks solely because they’re the healthier and more rested team.

Seattle Kraken vs San Jose Sharks

The Sharks will try to salvage a lost weekend as they host the Kraken with San Jose looking for just its second win in the past month. Zachary Sawchenko could get his first NHL start with James Reimer having played on Saturday, which would be a big boost for a Seattle team that has lost six in a row.

San Jose is favored by a little at home but, functionally, this game is close to a toss-up. Due to the uncertainty in net for the Sharks, the Kraken as moneyline underdogs are the smart side to bet on in this one.

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