The Winnipeg Jets will be in Edmonton to take on the Oilers in a North Division matchup on Monday night. Puck drop is 9 p.m. ET from Rogers Place Arena.
This is a big matchup between division rivals. These teams are separated by one point in the standings. In their two previous games against each other, the teams have split the series.
For those betting online on this contest, the NHL odds have the Oilers as the moneyline favorite at -129, and the over/under is set at 6.5.
Can’t Slow Down
Winnipeg comes into this game after a 2-1 loss Saturday. This was only the third time this season that Winnipeg had been held to a single goal. The Jets have to find a way not to allow that loss to slow them down and keep scoring goals at a high rate.
Winnipeg is a top 10 team when it comes to goal-scoring, averaging 3.4 goals per game. The biggest contributor to that stat is left wing Nikolaj Ehlers.
Through 14 games, Ehlers has scored nine goals. He has also helped out with seven assists, putting him in second on the team in total points.
A big reason why the Jets have been so successful is the play of center Mark Scheifele. Leading the team in points with 18, Scheifele has scored six goals and assisted on 12 others.
The Jets have used the contemporary style at goaltender, going with just a single goalie for a majority of their games. Connor Hellebuyck has started 11 of the 13 games and has a record of 6-4-0-1. He is only giving up 2.36 goals per game.
Going For Four
This is the second time the Oilers have won three games in a row. In their fourth game the first time, however, the Oilers fell to Calgary, 6-4. The Oilers hope to use their offensive firepower to keep on their winning ways.
The Oilers come into this game averaging 3.4 goals a game as well. Almost all of the goals they have scored have come from assists or scored by two of the best centers in the NHL.
Center Connor McDavid is off to a great start to the season, leading the NHL in total points with 28. He has scored nine goals and assisted on 19 others.
Right behind him on the total points list is his teammate Leon Draisaitl, who also plays center. Draisaitl has 26 points, eight goals, and 18 assists.
The Oilers also use the contemporary goalie system, with their main goalie being Mikko Koskinen. The third-year goaltender for the Oilers is off to a rough start with a record of 6-7 and giving up 3.4 goals per game.
If the Oilers are going to make any NHL news, they will need Koskinen to put up numbers similar to the past two seasons where he was giving up fewer than three goals a game all season.
Betting Pick
The Jets are 8-5-0-1 overall and are 11-3 against the spread. In their 14 games, the Jets have hit the over only six times. They have also only played only four road games and are 2-2 overall when traveling.
Edmonton comes in with a record of 9-7 and is 8-8 against the spread. Through 16 games, the Oilers have hit the over eight times. The Oilers have played half their games at home and are 4-4 from Roger’s Place.
The previous series that the teams split was held in Winnipeg back in the middle of January. In the game that Winnipeg lost, it had its backup goalie in net.
When making your NHL picks on this game, take the Edmonton Oilers moneyline (-129) and the under 6.5 goals (-113).
