The Edmonton Oilers were stymied by a former backup goalie of theirs on Tuesday but Connor McDavid, his new linemate Evander Kane and the rest of the team have an opportunity to bounce back Wednesday against the Chicago Blackhawks, losers of seven of their past eight.
Edmonton was shut out for just the second time this season, losing 4-0 to the Vegas Golden Knights, but Chicago has allowed an average of 4.13 goals against in the past eight games.
Kane has goals in two of his four appearances with Edmonton and led the team with five shots on goal versus Vegas. In each if his other three games, he registered three shots on goal. Kane’s odds of getting at least three shots on goal against Chicago is -190, four shots is -165 and five or more shots gets you +145.
Keep in mind Kane has averaged fewer than 3.5 shots per game when playing Chicago throughout his career. Kane’s odds for his first home goal as an Oiler are +140 and his anytime point odds are a chalky -165, not surprising considering he’s skating with McDavid.
Speaking of No. 97, since he hasn’t had a multipoint outing in two weeks, does that mean we’re due a McDavid scoring explosion? His anytime assist odds are -165, anytime goal +110, multiple points is +115 and four or more shots is set at -115.
The Oilers host Blackhawks in the featured matchup this week on Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey. Vegas remains in Alberta for a meeting with the Calgary Flames on Sportsnet 360 and the Vancouver Canucks host the New York Islanders on Sportsnet Pacific.
It’s a busier-than-usual Wednesday with six games on tap, with also Detroit-Philadelphia, Nashville-Dallas and Arizona-Seattle, which are all available to watch on SN NOW Premium.
Here are a few other player prop bets to keep an eye on during Wednesday’s action:
VALUE SHOT TOTALS IN VEGAS-CALGARY
You’ve got to be ready to pounce when there’s plus-money opportunities in markets that often see chalky odds, so targeting low shot totals for both Alex Pietrangelo and Andrew Mangiapane could pay off when the Golden Knights face the Flames.
Vegas’s star blueliner has at least three shots in 21 of 45 games played this season, including in seven of his past 12 games, so there’s decent value on over 2.5 shots at +105. In fact, Pietrangelo has at least five shots in 10 games, so playing the alternate-shots market can benefit too. At least four shots for Pietrangelo is +150 and five or more is +300.
Mangiapane logged one shot on goal in three of his past four games, however, he’s had three or more shots on goal in 18 of his 42 games. So, for the same reasons as Pietrangelo above, seeing +140 attached to Mangiapane’s over 2.5 shots is something to consider.
CARTER HART SAVES
Carter Hart’s saves total is set at 28.5 with a slight lean on the under at -125 compared to the over at -105 when the Flyers face the Red Wings. Hart has been peppered with 108 shots in his past three starts, but I expect his teammates to provide him a bit more support. Plus, Detroit ranks 25th in the NHL with 29.2 shots on goal per game.
BARGAIN HUNTING
With a dozen teams in action Wednesday night, there’s bound to be a handful of goals from surprise contributors. Here are a couple players laying juicy anytime goal odds:
Quinn Hughes (+900) to score vs. Islanders: The 22-year-old defenceman has just 13 goals in 174 NHL games and is riding a 38-game goalless streak. He has scored more than one goal against three franchises: two against the Oilers in 17 games, two against the Sharks in five games and a two against the Isles in just two games. Hughes’s lone two-goal game was against the Islanders two years ago. If Hughes is going to maintain a goal-per-game average against any team, it’s the Islanders, and if he does he’ll reward bettors with a ninefold return.
Nick Cousins (+500) to score vs. Stars: Cousins has only one goal in 17 career games against Dallas but he has been getting top-six minutes lately playing with Ryan Johansen and Luke Kunin, so that's tempting value if he notches his seventh of the season.
All listed betting odds via Bodog as of Wednesday afternoon and rounded to nearest multiple of five
