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Bet on the Oilers' money line in Game 1 of second-round matchup with Canucks

Will Edmonton’s offense be the story in this series?

Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers skates the puck past Blake Lizotte #46 of the Los Angeles Kings during the second period in Game Five of the First Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on May 1, 2024, in Edmonton, Canada.(Photo by Codie McLachlan/Getty Images)
Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers skates the puck past Blake Lizotte #46 of the Los Angeles Kings during the second period in Game Five of the First Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on May 1, 2024, in Edmonton, Canada.(Photo by Codie McLachlan/Getty Images)Read moreCodie McLachlan / Getty Images
    by Michael Leboff, Action Network
    Published 

The Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks will open their Round 2 series at 10 p.m. ET on Wednesday night. The Oilers are a -134 favorite to win Game 1 on the road and are currently sitting at -265 to win the best-of-7.

Are the Canucks getting disrespected by the betting market in this series?

Oilers vs. Canucks Game 1 prediction: Analysis

The Canucks finished five points ahead of the Oilers to win the Pacific Division, but there’s no doubting that Edmonton should be a favorite in this series. Sure, the price would be less lopsided if Vancouver had star goaltender Thatcher Demko healthy, but the Oilers would still be favorites.

Stylistically, these teams will want to approach Game 1 and this series very differently. After shooting the lights out in the first quarter of the season, the Canucks grew into one of the best defensive clubs in the NHL over the second half of the campaign. Vancouver finished fifth in the NHL in goals allowed, sixth in expected goals conceded and eighth in high-danger scoring chances surrendered.

Vancouver’s sharp defensive play turned it into one of the best teams in the league at shutting things down. The Canucks went 42-1-4 when leading after two periods during the regular season.

» READ MORE: Bet on Rangers to take Game 2 in second-round series matchup with Hurricanes

All of those defensive numbers will be put to the test by the Oilers.

Edmonton’s power play was the story against the Kings, but the Oilers were a behemoth at 5-on-5 during the regular season, too. The Oilers finished the campaign ranked third in 5-on-5 scoring, third in shot attempts, first in expected goals for and first in high-danger scoring chances created.

The Canucks are built to sustain pressure and grind out games, but they’ll need to step out of their shell to have a chance in this series and that should play right into Edmonton’s hands.

Oilers vs. Canucks Game 1 prediction: Pick

  1. The Bet: Edmonton Oilers -140 or better

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