Edmonton Oilers vs. Colorado Avalanche Picks, Predictions, Odds

Daniel Dobish Sports Betting Expert

12 minute read

The Edmonton Oilers and the Colorado Avalanche meet at Ball Arena on Tuesday night for Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, a best-of-seven series. Puck drop is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed on TNT.

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Score Prediction

Avalanche 5, Oilers 3

Best Bet

Avalanche -1.5 (+140)
Over 6.5 (-120)

EDMONTON OILERS vs. COLORADO AVALANCHE PREDICTIONS

The Oilers have won four straight games after losing Game 1 against the rival Calgary Flames. The Oilers offense has been on point, scoring four or more goals in each of the five games of the Flames series, good for an average of 5.0 goals per game (GPG). The Oilers also averaged 4.0 GPG in the six-game series win against the Los Angeles Kings. At times, Edmonton has needed every one of the markers, as it has allowed three or more goals in four of the past five games, and 33 total goals, or 3.3 GPG, across the past 10 outings.

For the Avalanche, they posted a four-game sweep of the Nashville Predators in the first round, covering the puck line in all but Game 2, which was an overtime victory. The St. Louis Blues put up a much harder fight in the second round. The Avs needed OT to win Game 1 on home ice by a 3-2 margin. The Avs won both Games 3 and 4 on the road, building a 3-1 series lead, but the Blues stunned the Avalanche in Denver in Game 5, forcing the series back to St. Louis. The Blues lost a narrow 3-2 decision in Game 6, giving the high-octane Avalanche all they could handle.

As you would expect, Nathan MacKinnon (8 G, 5 A) and Cale Makar (3 G, 10 A) are the leading scorers for the Avalanche through 10 postseason games. Gabriel Landeskog (6 G, 5 A), Mikko Rantanen (1 G, 10 A) and Nazem Kadri (5 G, 5 A) have also averaged at least a point-per-game in the playoffs, so Colorado can do it in a multitude of ways.

The offense numbers for the Oilers are just staggering. Both Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid have posted seven goals and 19 assists each through 12 postseason games. Evander Kane leads the team with 12 goals, while chipping in three helpers and a team-high 28 PIM, too. He and Zach Hyman surprisingly lead in shot on goal in the postseason with 51. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has been a nice tertiary scoring option with four goals and 11 points so far.

In the cage, Mike Smith is 8-3-0 with a 2.70 GAA through 12 games played, and he has a pair of shutouts. For the Avs, Darcy Kuemper recovered from an eye injury in the Nashville series to post a 6-2-0 record and 2.44 GAA so far in nine playoff games.

One other big note, Draisaitl is listed as a question mark for Game 1 due to an ankle injury he has been battling for a while, although there is little doubt he'll be ready. But it is worth noting. Darnell Nurse is also fighting through an LBI, but he continues to soldier on. And remember, the Avs lost Samuel Girard to a broken sternum in the St. Louis series, and he is done for the season.

Updated on 12/26/2024

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EDMONTON OILERS vs. COLORADO AVALANCHE BETTING ODDS

Oilers +150
Avalanche -175
Oilers +1.5 (-159)
Avalanche -1.5 (+140)
Over 6.5 (-120)
Under 6.5 (+100)

More Odds | Futures Odds

EDMONTON OILERS vs. COLORADO AVALANCHE BETTING RESOURCES

• Date: Tuesday, May 31, 2022
• Matchup: Pacific vs. Central
• Venue: Ball Arena
• Location: Denver, Colo.
• TV-Time: TNT, 8 p.m. ET

EDMONTON OILERS BETTING ANALYSIS

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

• SU: 57-30-7
• ATS: 47-47
• O/U: 49-42-3

The Oilers were able to out-offense the Flames in their Battle of Alberta playoff series, winning in five games, including each of the past four outings. Edmonton won't want to try and outgun Colorado, though, as the Avalanche are quite a bit deeper than the Flames. Still, the lean in the early going of this series will be toward the OVER.

The OVER is 4-1 in the past five games for the Oilers, although the UNDER has connected in three of the previous four meetings between these teams. In fact, the last time these teams met in Denver on March 21, the only regular-season meeting in Colorado, it was a 3-2 overtime win for the Avs. The only one of three regular-season games which cashed the OVER was a 6-3 win by the Oilers in Edmonton on April 22.

COLORADO AVALANCHE BETTING ANALYSIS

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

• SU: 64-20-8
• ATS: 45-47
• O/U: 48-39-5

The Avalanche have a ton of offensive stars, and it will be interesting to see how they make up for the loss of Girard, who was a serviceable defenseman. Against the likes of Draisaitl, McDavid, etc., you need all hands on deck, and they're down a hand on D.

Colorado has cashed the OVER in three of the past four games overall, including each of the past two at home. The UNDER has actually outpaced the OVER in five home games for the Avs in the postseason, going 3-2. The Avalanche has averaged just 2.5 GPG in the past four home games in the postseason, doing most of its damage away from home. In five playoff games on the road, Colorado has exploded for 26 total goals, or 5.2 GPG.

EDMONTON OILERS vs. COLORADO AVALANCHE CONCLUSION

If you look at things piece by piece, you have to like the offense of the Oilers slightly better than the Avalanche, only because of the likes of Draisaitl and McDavid. That duo, like usual, has been ridiculous during the postseason. Those two seem determined to do big things, and that's no different from past years. But the difference this season is that they finally have some help, as other contributors are stepping up, namely Kane.

Defense and goaltending, though, the edge definitely goes to the Avalanche. While Smith is actually a more proven commodity in the NHL than Kuemper, the Colorado goaltender will play make his 10th postseason which will set a new career high. He is 6-2-0 with a 2.44 GAA and .904 SV% in his nine starts so far. He'll need to be a touch better against the Oilers. He was 2-1-0 with a 2.62 GAA and .921 SV% in three regular-season starts vs. EDM. Speaking of Smith, he is 8-3-0 with a 2.70 GAA and .927 SV% with two shutouts in 12 playoff games. He has his most playoff wins since 2012 when he won nine games while posting a 1.99 GAA with the then-Phoenix Coyotes. But he tends to have lapses, or brain farts, in the playoffs, and you can expect the Avalanche offense to test him with shots early and often.

Both teams are well rested and ready to go, with Colorado a little healthier at this point. The Avs have had some trouble getting started quickly in a series, so if the Oilers are going to get them, it's in Game 1 or 2 especially. But I think Colorado fires out with a nice, high-scoring win to set the early tone.

EDMONTON OILERS vs. COLORADO AVALANCHE BETTING TRENDS

• Oilers are 6-1 in the past seven games overall
• Oilers are 9-5 in the past 14 road games.
• Avalanche are 8-2 in the past 10 playoff games.
• Avalanche are 10-4 in the past 14 home games.
• Avalanche are 8-2 in the past 10 as a favorite.
• OVER is 4-1 in the past five games for the Oilers.
• OVER is 3-1 in the pat four games for the Avalanche.
• Avalanche are 3-1 in the past four meetings.
• Home team is 5-1 in the past six meetings.
• Favorite is 5-1 in the past six meetings.
• UNDER is 3-1 in the past four meetings.

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Daniel Dobish

Dan is a handicapper and sports betting expert for VegasInsider with years of experience writing for a number of top publications in the industry. More from Daniel Dobish