The Anaheim Ducks and Edmonton Oilers wasted no time to begin their first-round playoff series on Monday night, trading blows before a goal in the final minute sealed a 4-3 win for the Oil. Things played out pretty closely to the way in which we projected in our Game 1 preview, but will we get another high-scoring affair in the rematch on Wednesday night?
Here’s a Ducks vs. Oilers Game 2 prediction and pick for tonight’s NHL Playoffs action on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Ducks vs. Oilers Game 2 prediction, preview
The primary stat we outlined in the Game 1 preview was that the Ducks and Oilers combined for 28 goals in just three regular-season meetings this year. After the events of the opening playoff matchup, that total now sits at 35 combined goals in four games. That’s good for 8.75 goals on average… wow.
Are we simply hammering the over again tonight? Absolutely.
Edmonton netminder Connor Ingram finished the regular season with an .899 SV% and 2.60 GAA. In the opposite goal, Lukas Dostal ended his regular-season slate with a 3.10 GAA and .888 SV%. Those aren’t quite the numbers you want from your postseason goalies, especially given the additional context of these teams.
The blue line is weak on each side, but the offensive results are not. The Oilers managed to score 3.44 goals per game in the regular season and led the NHL with a 30.6% PP%. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl headline the unit as always, plus Evan Bouchard plays an offense-heavy game as a top-pairing defenseman. The Ducks don’t have the same level of high-end talent, but they did average 3.23 goals per game in the regular season. Cutter Gauthier is an excellent goalscorer while Leo Carlsson and Bennett Sennecke bring well-rounded skills with the puck.
The Ducks and Oilers ranked third and fourth in shots on goal per game in the regular season with 30.8 and 29.7, respectively. That trend was backed up by 34 shots for Edmonton and 28 for Anaheim in Game 1. Can you trust either of these goalies against high-octane attacks? Probably not.
Ducks vs. Oilers Game 2 pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Oilers as -198 favorites to win at home on the Moneyline today, while the Ducks come in with +164 odds on the road. The game total sits at 6.5 combined goals.
Betting splits show 81% of straight bets on Edmonton to win, 52% of wagers on the Oilers to cover the -1.5 puck line, and 56% on the total’s over.
The over feels like a smash pick again here, even at -142 odds. Just look at the numbers we outlined in the preview section of the piece. These teams have produced more than eight combined goals per game across four meetings this year. Is it tough to see that slowing down given the shot volume each offense produces, the lack of standout defensive talent, the goalie situations, and the Oilers’ standout power play? Yeah, probably so. The -142 value isn’t amazing as a standalone play, but the odds this bet hits remain high as ever given the state and style of both teams. Expect another boat race tonight.
