The Edmonton Oilers will be gunning for their first home victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in over three years when they host Sidney Crosby and the defending Stanley Cup champions on Friday as small +100 betting underdogs at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Edmonton is coming off a 4-1 loss to the New York Islanders as a -168 home favourite on Tuesday, and is now winless in four of its past seven games ahead of Friday night’s Penguins vs. Oilers betting matchup at Rogers Place.
The Oilers remain in playoff contention in the Western Conference despite their recent swoon, but now find themselves in a three-way battle for second place in the Pacific Division with the Anaheim Ducks and the suddenly red-hot Calgary Flames after stumbling to a 6-6-0 record in the month of February. The Oilers are just 3-3-1 in their past seven games on home ice.
Edmonton has sputtered offensively during that stretch, scoring two or fewer goals on nine occasions. However, Connor McDavid has maintained a torrid pace, with 14 points in his past 11 outings to sit in the lead in the NHL scoring race with 74 points.
Penguins captain Sidney Crosby also remains in the hunt for the NHL scoring title going into his first ever head-to-head clash with McDavid in Edmonton.
Crosby has been held goalless in each of his past five outings, tallying just three assists during that stretch, but sits just four points back of the Oilers captain for the league lead. Crosby has also struggled to find the back of the net in recent dates with the Oilers, potting just one total goal in his past five games against Edmonton.
The two-time Hart Trophy winner’s offensive struggles have not slowed down the Penguins, who ride a three-game winning streak into Edmonton. Pittsburgh opened its current five-game road trip with a decisive 7-4 win in Winnipeg as a -124 favourite on Wednesday, and has outscored opponents by a 16-9 margin during its current tear.
The victory in Winnipeg also halted a two-game road slide and marked the Penguins’ fifth win in their past seven games overall. Pittsburgh has turned in uneven results on the road this season, compiling a 14-12-5 record, but has also shown signs of turning that around after picking up at least a point in eight of its past 11 road games.
The Penguins claimed a 4-3 regulation win over Edmonton as -209 home favourites on Nov. 8, and have taken four of their last five from the Oilers according to the OddsShark NHL Database including a pair of low-scoring victories in Edmonton in which they allowed just one total Oilers goal.
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