Categories
NHL

NHL Free Pick: Oilers vs. Predators Betting Odds & Handicapping Preview

NHL: Edmonton vs Nashville Pick

A pair of Western Conference teams will face off on Tuesday night when the Pacific Division’s Edmonton Oilers (6-8-1) take on the Central Division leading Nashville Predators (9-3-2). Cappers Picks will provide free NHL picks all season so check back in often.

Bet on NHL Hockey!

Edmonton vs Nashville
When: Tuesday, Nov 11 2014 at 8:00 pm ET
Where: Bridgestone Arena
TV: Sportsnet West
NHL ATS Gambling Line: Edmonton +168 / Nashville -185
NHL O/U Line: 5
***2014 BONUSES***
[dfads params=’groups=63740&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]

Click here to view today’s… ATS Matchup Insight | CP Insider Gambling Preview

The Nashville Predators look to keep hold of their lead the intriguing Central Division when they take on the streaky Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. Nashville has had a great bounce back so far this season under new head coach Peter Laviolette.

[dfads params=’groups=64160&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]

The Oilers meanwhile have had an up and down season to this point and as a result sit at the bottom of the Pacific Division. Edmonton will wrap up a five game road trip where they have split the first four games with two wins and two losses and will be hoping to come back home with a successful trip under their belts.

Let’s take a close look at how these teams will match up and how they’ve gotten to where they are.

Nashville

The Preds have been one of the biggest surprises so far this season, sitting at the top of the heap in one of the best division’s in the NHL. Nashville has nine wins in 14 games and have been buoyed by their new bench boss, a health Pekka Rinne in net and additions of forwards James Neal and Mike Ribeiro.

Rinne has posted a sparkling 1.81 GAA and .935 SV% to go with a 9-2-1 record thus far. James Neal is leading the team in goals with eight and is tied for second in team points at 11 with another new addition in Ribeiro.

2012 first round pick Filip Forsberg has officially arrived as a full time player and is showing every bit of his ability to be an impact player night in and night out.

[dfads params=’groups=16&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]

Forsberg leads the Preds with 15 points in 14 games and is an outstanding +15 which leads the NHL. (He’s also outscoring Sarnia Sting linemates Nail Yakupov and Alex Galchenyuk who went first and third overall that year – the two have a combined 14 points).

As a team, Nashville has been rolling at a steady clip and are coming off a long six-game road trip themselves where they won four games, including a 4-1 win over the Oilers to start the trip back on October 29. The Preds also put a stop the the St. Louis Blues’ seven game win streak to close out the trip on Saturday.

Streaks haven’t been in the Preds’ vocab this year as they’ve yet to win more than two games in a row, but they also have yet to lose back to back games.

Edmonton

Speaking of streaks, the Oilers have done it in abundance this season, and it has to feel like a never ending roller coaster for this team’s fan base. Edmonton started the season by dropping their first five games before running off four straight victories.

The four game win streak was promptly followed up by a four game losing streak, which was then rebutted by the current two game win streak that the Oilers are on.

I’m not sure if you call that consistency or not, but so far it’s been feast or famine for this club that is ridiculously stockpiled with high end talent.

[dfads params=’groups=64161&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]

The young guns are still leading the way (who else would?) with Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Taylor Hall all tied for the team lead in points at 10.

2012 first overall selection Nail Yakupov continues to be an enigma and seems determined to go down as one of the biggest draft busts in the last decade, as he’s registered just two goals and six points in 15 games this season and is -4 (Filip Forsberg went 11th overall in Yakupov’s draft year).

Oilers vs. Predators 4* Free Pick

Goaltending has once again been an issue for the Oilers who have gotten a few solid games out of Ben Scrivens, but with 51 goals allowed this season, the Oilers sit ahead of only the NHL’s bottom feeding Buffalo Sabres in terms of goals surrendered.

Nashville might be a bit road weary in this one as many teams seem to have a bit of an off game when returning home from a road trip. On top of the mileage the Preds have stacked up in the past week, they have yet to win more than two straight games this year and I can see this one going to OT with the Oilers stealing one. Take Edmonton paying +168 on the money line.

[dfads params=’groups=63706&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]

By Matt Durnan

A (self-proclaimed) fantasy sports guru since 2004 and a journalist since 2007. He has been offering unsolicited sports gambling advice to his circle of friends for years and has now put himself at the mercy of online readers everywhere. "It's not whether you win or lose, it's how much fun you have"... His hockey coach told him that when he was 7. His team lost every game that year.