The Chicago Blackhawks and the Edmonton Oilers resume their qualifying round series in Game 2 Monday at 10:30 p.m. ET at Rogers Place in Edmonton. We analyze the Blackhawks-Oilers NHL betting odds and lines, with picks and best bets.
Blackhawks vs. Oilers: Projected starting goalies
Corey Crawford vs. Mikko Koskinen
Crawford was staked to a 4-1 lead heading to the dressing room after 20 minutes in Game 1, giving him plenty of wiggle room. In fact, the four goals scored were, uhh, an NHL record for first-period goals by a No. 12 seed. Look it up!
The Blackhawks also held a 6-2 lead through 40 minutes, helping Crawford and the underdogs cruise to the 6-4 win on Edmonton’s home ice, sans the crowd, of course.
Mike Smith was a disaster in Game 1, coughing up five goals on 23 shots before getting yanked 6:32 into the second period. Koskinen came on and righted the ship, eating 18 of the 19 pucks he faced. He is expected to get the starting nod in Game 2. Koskinen also relieved Smith in a 4-3 loss in Chicago on March 5. He stopped all 10 shots he faced in his only appearance against the ‘Hawks in the regular season.
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Blackhawks vs. Oilers: Odds, picks and betting tips
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 7:55 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Blackhawks 4, Oilers 3
Moneyline (ML)
The BLACKHAWKS (+120) looked really good, as Jonathan Toews and Dominik Kubalik sparkled on offense. The underdog visitors looked comfortable in Edmonton, and it shouldn’t have been a major surprise. Chicago is 14-6 in their past 20 games in Edmonton, and 4-1 in the previous five meetings overall. The Oilers (-139) are on the ropes in their own barn.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Blackhawks (+120) to win returns a profit of $12, while a $10 wager on the Oilers (-139) results in a profit of $7.19.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
You can count on this game to be much closer than Game 1. While I expect the underdogs to come away with another win, it won’t be as easy as the opener. The Oilers -1.5 (+170) have too much pride.
If you’re not feeling the 12-seed again, Blackhawks +1 (-143) might make some sense. That’s not for me, though. If you like Chicago, just bet the moneyline, for a much better value. This one will be too tight for puck line action. AVOID.
Over/Under (O/U)
OVER 6.5 (+100) is worth a play, as there is a lot of offensive talent on both sides of the ice. Couple that with the fact there are some solid goaltenders in this one, but not championship-caliber netminders, and the recipe is there for another Over result.
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