Edmonton Oilers Travel to Colorado to Face the Avalanche

The Edmonton Oilers will face off against the Colorado Avalanche inside of the Ball Arena on Monday night in a potential Western Conference playoffs preview.

This is surprisingly the first of three games against one another this season as they will also play on April 9 and April 23. The Oilers are third in the Pacific Division (33-23-4, 70 points) while the Avalanche are atop of the Central Division (43-13-5, 91 points) up to this point. 

With some incredible players on both sides of the ice in this matchup, it will be a very competitive game. Let’s decide on which team we should be betting.

Game Preview: Edmonton Oilers at Colorado Avalanche March 21

Edmonton has been scoring the puck well as they are averaging 3.28 goals on 33.6 shot attempts per game this season. Center Connor McDavid is doing incredibly well and is leading the Hart Trophy conversation as he has the NHL lead in points, tied for third in assists, and tied for seventh in goals as he has 85 points (33 goals, 52 assists). He added six points in their last three games.

The Oilers are allowing 3.20 goals on 31.8 shots up to this point and need starting goalie Mikko Koskinen to improve. He has a 22-9-3 record but has 3.04 goals allowed per game, and a .904 save percentage.  

Center Kazem Kadri is tied for seventh in the NHL with points and sole possession of the seventh place in hockey as he has produced 73 points (22 goals, 51 assists) with just three points in his previous five games.

The Avalanche are doing extremely well on the offensive side of the ice as they are scoring 3.82 goals on 35.1 shots so far. Goaltender Darcy Kuemper has been doing incredibly well so far as he is 29-8-2 with a .923 save percentage and 2.41 goals allowed per game, as well as five shutouts. Colorado as a franchise is giving up 2.77 goals on 31.6 shot attempts per game.

Edmonton Oilers at Colorado Avalanche Betting Prediction

Colorado has been the better overall team, and it is extremely difficult to defeat them inside of the Ball Arena as they are an impressive 24-3-3 at home.

Even though Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have been playing extremely well, their defense inside of the net is terrible and needs a big shakeup if they want to win some more games.

The Oilers are 27-33 against the spread this season, while the Avalanche are 30-31 against the spread so far, so that means there is not a huge difference on that aspect.

Go with the Colorado Avalanche to cover the puck line, with Kueper doing well enough to dominate.

* All odds provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.