The Edmonton Oilers meet the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5 of their Western Conference semifinals playoff series Friday. Puck drop at T-Mobile Arena is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET (TNT). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Oilers vs. Golden Knights odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
Season series: Tied 2-2
The Oilers started fast and cruised to a 4-1 victory in Game 4. Edmonton scored 3 times in the 1st period as a rare Under hit in the series. C Connor McDavid and C Leon Draisaitl combined for just 3 assists and 5 shots on goal.
Vegas had just 6 shots on goal (SOG) in the 1st and were outshot 33-26 in a sloppy game. One saving grace is they held the high-powered Oilers to just 1-for-7 on the power play. Things got messy late when D Alex Pietrangelo slashed Draisaitl with under 90 seconds to go. Pietrangelo is suspended for this game, and Oilers D Darnell Nurse will miss it as well.
Oilers at Golden Knights odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub Lines last updated at 1:17 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Oilers -135 (bet $135 to win $100) | Golden Knights +115 (bet $100 to win $115)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Oilers -1.5 (+170) | Golden Knights +1.5 (-210)
- Over/Under (O/U): 7 (O: +110 | U: -135)
Oilers at Golden Knights projected goalies
Stuart Skinner (29-14-5, 2.75 GAA, .914 SV%, 1 SO – regular season) vs Adin Hill (16-7-1, 2.50 GAA, .915 SV%, 0 SO – regular season)
It has become a theme the last 6 games. Skinner will be great one game and not so good the next. Well, he was great in Game 4, stopping 25 of 26 shots fired his way. But he usually allows 4 or more immediately after. He has a 3.31 GAA and .895 SV% in the playoffs.
Hill had a rough 1st period in his 1st start for the injured Laurent Brossoit. He allowed 3 goals on 11 shots, but only allowed 1 more on the next 22 shots. Brossoit is considered day-to-day, and either goalie could be between the pipes with veteran Jonathan Quick backing up as well.
Oilers at Golden Knights picks and predictions
Prediction
Oilers 5, Golden Knights 3
Moneyline
Losing Petro hurts Vegas more than Nurse’s absence hurts Edmonton. The whole key to this series is scoring more than the Oilers, and Vegas is thin at the blue line now. McDavid was not happy about the slash on Draisaitl and went after Pietrangelo.
I’m going to PASS on the ML, look to the spread and take MCDAVID ANYTIME GOAL -120.
Puck line/Against the spread
Every game in this series has ended with at least a 2-goal difference. Road teams have been ridiculously good these playoffs, and I look for Edmonton to apply pressure throughout this one.
Take the OILERS -1.5 (+170).
Over/Under
There were at least 7 goals in 5 straight games between the teams until Game 4. Now the total has moved from 6.5 up to 7. So let’s look another direction.
We have had 15 goals scored in the 1st frame of the series, and no game has had fewer than 3 lamp lighters in the 1st.
So there’s a good chance we at least push OVER 2 FIRST PERIOD GOALS (+100).
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