Western Conference rivals St. Louis Blues and Edmonton Oilers can be proud of their winning records in the 2023-24 season. Tonight, February 28th, the Oilers will host the Blues at Rogers Place, and the home team is a favorite with -258 odds on a moneyline bet.
The Blues occupy the 6th seed in the Central Division, and the Oilers are the 3rd seed in the Pacific Division, with both teams eager to improve their records going forward in the season. This will be the second game between these two teams in the last two weeks, with the Blues winning the previous matchup 6-3 against the Oilers. Let’s examine the odds for a bet with a Bet365 sports promo code.
The Blues Have Issues With Scoring
The Blues have a 30-26-2 record, but lately, outcomes have not been trending upward. St. Louis lost two games straight and will arrive at Rogers Place after a 4-2 loss against the Winnipeg Jets. Offensively, the Blues are having issues, which is evident from the 2.89 goals average per game.
The struggle to score goals is additionally reflected in the 17.7% power play rate, ranking St.Louis 24th in the league. Only seven players have double-digit goals, with Pavel Buchnevich leading the pack with 23 goals.
The defense does not compensate for the underperforming offense, conceding 3.11 goals per game. Opponents have had many open shots on the Blues net, but goaltender Jordan Binnington is responsible for keeping the conceded goals to an accepted rate, with a .909 save percentage. Binnington's last start was nothing to write home about after allowing four goals against the Detroit Red Wings.
The Oilers’ Offense is Rolling
The Oilers have a 34-20-2 record and are coming off a 4-2 win against the Kings. The offense is rolling, with 3.55 goals per game, ranking 5th in scoring offense. One big reason for the success of placing the puck in opponents' nets is the 27.4% powerplay rate, which ranks 4th in the NHL.
Edmonton players have scored 153 goals so far in the season, with Zach Hyman's 38 goals making the largest chunk of the total. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have combined for 50 goals, and defensemen Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard have helped the offense by contributing 19 goals.
The defense allows three goals per contest, and Stuart Skinner is expected to safeguard the net for tonight's matchup. Skinner's save percentage this season is .903, but that average does not match Skinner's performance in his last five starts when it dropped to .869 and an average of 4.18 goals per game.
Betting Prediction
The home team is having a solid season, not finding it challenging to score goals, especially when opponents are a man short on the ice. On the other hand, the visiting Blue’s offense has not found its groove. Edmonton’s defense is not stellar, but their goaltender, Skinner, has a talent for making big saves.
The best betting sites with free bets offer +100 odds on Edmonton to cover the 1.5 puck line and -120 odds on the Blues to cover. The total is 6.5 goals with +100 odds for the Over bet and -120 odds for the Under bet. The underdog Blues receives +210 odds for the moneyline bet. St.Louis is playing back-to-back games, and that can be tiring. On paper, the Oilers should coast through this game.
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