The Edmonton Oilers will open their second-round NHL playoff series with the Pacific Division champion Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday as +110 road underdogs on the NHL betting lines at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Edmonton made a triumphant return to the post-season following an 11-year absence, topping the San Jose Sharks in six games in the opening round, and has posted wins in 12 of its last 16 games ahead of Wednesday night’s Oilers vs. Ducks betting matchup at Honda Center.
The youthful Oilers recorded a pair of shutout wins over the Sharks last round to seize an early 2-1 series lead and were undaunted by a 7-0 Game 4 loss in San Jose as +124 underdogs, responding with wins in Games 5 and 6 to advance to the second round.
But the Oilers open the second round as underdogs on the NHL series prices, trailing with +110 odds while the Ducks are listed as -130 chalk.
Anaheim swept the Calgary Flames in the first round as -155 favourites on the series prices, but has lost three of four to the Oilers since posting wins in 21 of their previous 25 meetings. The Ducks have also advanced past the second round just once in seven playoff appearances since winning the Stanley Cup in 2007.
Elsewhere, after disposing of the Boston Bruins in six games in their opening-round matchup, the Ottawa Senators open the second round against the New York Rangers on Thursday as +140 underdogs on the NHL series prices.
The Senators needed three overtime wins to vanquish the Boston Bruins in the first round as +180 underdogs on the series prices, while New York overcame a 2-1 first-round series deficit to knock off the Montreal Canadiens as +110 series underdogs and are a -160 bet to eliminate Ottawa.
Oddsmakers, though, have pegged Thursday night’s Game 1 matchup as a toss-up. Ottawa took two of three games from the Rangers this season, while New York recorded an NHL-best 27 road victories this year but finished the regular season with just one win in its final six road games according to the OddsShark NHL Database.
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In other NHL second-round playoff action, the St. Louis Blues host the Nashville Predators on Wednesday in Game 1 of their set as narrow -120 chalk, while the Washington Capitals host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday as -138 favourites.
The series matchup between Nashville and St. Louis is pegged as a virtual pick‘em on the series prices with both clubs sporting -110 odds, while the Capitals sit as narrow -120 favourites over Pittsburgh for their best-of-seven series.