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Edmonton Oilers vs Calgary Flames Preview
The Scotiabank Saddledome hosts The Battle of Alberta on Saturday at 10:00 PM ET. Both teams will fight hard for the bragging rights, but The Edmonton Oilers have more to lose. Edmonton is close to the NHL playoffs, but they’ll have to overcome their fierce rivals, the Calgary Flames, in enemy territory.
Calgary’s post-season hopes are gone, losing three out of their last four games. The Winnipeg Jets proved too hot for the Flames to handle, losing their most recent game by three points. Edmonton also lost their latest game, with the Dallas Stars notching a 5-0 victory. The Oilers were on a three-game winning streak before back-to-back defeats, so can they get their playoff hunt back on track against the Flames?
Edmonton Oilers vs Calgary Flames Head-to-Head and Key Stats
The Edmonton Oilers have faced the Calgary Flames three times this season. All the contests were entertaining, but Edmonton leads the regular season series with two wins. However, their most recent game was a thrilling nine-point contest, and Calgary walked away with the victory.
The Flames started quickly and got the opening point after two minutes played. Walker Duehr intercepted an Oilers pass in the neutral zone and started a fast break. Duehr found Nazem Kadri sandwiched between Mattias Ekholm and Connor McDavid. Kadri chipped the puck home to give Calgary the lead. Moments later, Martin Pospisil fired past Stuart Skinner, doubling the advantage. Thanks to Noah Hanifin’s tenth goal this season, the Flames went 3-0 up, and The Battle of Alberta was slipping away from Edmonton. However, just before the first period ended, Edmonton’s hero, Zach Hyman, notched a goal to get his side within two points of the leaders.
A massive hit from Blake Coleman sent McDavid to the ground, but the puck fell to Leon Draisaitl. Draisaitl located Hyman in the Flames’ offensive zone, and the forward scored his record-breaking 37th goal of the season. Dryden Hunt got his first goal this season at a crucial time, restoring Calgary’s two-point margin with eight minutes left in the second period. A power play before the end of the period gifted Hanifin an easy goal, putting the Flames three points ahead. The Oilers had little to cheer about in the third, with Coleman extending Calgary’s lead after firing into an empty net. Mattias Janmark calmly guided the puck home in the last stages of the game, but his goal didn’t change the outcome, and the Oilers suffered a 6-3 defeat against their rivals.
The second contest between Edmonton and Calgary took place in January. It didn’t have as many points as their latest game, but The Battle of Alberta was still an exciting matchup. Ryan McLeod got the opening goal with under five minutes left in the first period. The second period had only one goal, but the Flames found their rhythm. MacKenzie Weegar took advantage of a three-on-one fast break and leveled the game. However, the Oilers regained the lead in the third period via Sam Gagner. It took under two minutes for Gagner to score his fifth goal this season. In the last seconds of the contest, Zach Hyman notched the game’s last point and handed the Oilers a 3-1 victory over their enemies.
When looking at the offensive stats, the Edmonton Oilers pose a massive threat to the Calgary Flames. The Oilers are one of the best offensive sides in the NHL, scoring 262 goals this season. The Toronto Maple Leafs, Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Colorado Avalanche are the only teams with more goals than Edmonton. Calgary’s offense is just a little behind with 229 goals in 75 games. However, the Flames’ defense is one of the weakest in the league. Calgary has conceded 244 times, whereas the Oilers have allowed just 213 goals.
Edmonton Oilers vs Calgary Flames Prediction
Correct Score Prediction: Edmonton Oilers 5-3 win over Calgary Flames
We predict the Edmonton Oilers will beat the Calgary Flames. The contest will have over 6.5 goals. Our correct score prediction is an Oilers 5-3 win over the Flames. We expect the first period to be the highest-scoring. Connor McDavid will notch over 0.5 points against Calgary.
The Battle of Alberta is one of the fiercest rivalries in the National Hockey League, and we expect an exciting contest this weekend. The Edmonton Oilers are closing in on the playoffs, but the Calgary Flames would love nothing more than to cause a disruption. However, we don’t believe an upset will happen and predict the Oilers will beat the Flames by a two-point margin.
The sides have faced each other three times this season. Two of the three contests had over six points. We believe this weekend’s game will have over 7.5 goals. Our correct score prediction is an Edmonton 5-3 win over Calgary. The first period has been the highest-scoring in two of their previous three games, and this is an excellent bet this weekend. You can use our sportsbook to bet on the highest-scoring period and many more hockey markets.
If the Edmonton Oilers are scoring points, Connor McDavid is usually involved. The forward has 126 points (29G, 97A) this season and averages 1.75 points per game. We expect McDavid to notch over 0.5 points on Saturday. Evan Bouchard is also an intriguing choice. The Oilers’ defenceman gets 1.03 PPG and will offer better value than McDavid on the player prop markets. Bouchard notching over 0.5 points is an excellent wager when betting on the Oilers. The Flames rely on Nazem Kadri to get their points, with the forward averaging 0.85 per game. None of Calgary’s skaters average over a point per contest, so they are much harder to predict. However, we expect Kadri to post over 0.5 this weekend.
Edmonton and Calgary are huge rivals, so expect penalty minutes. That will lead to plenty of power plays, which are brilliant opportunities to use our live betting features. When the Oilers and Flames last met, the contest had 80 penalty minutes. Edmonton is among the best NHL teams during power plays, converting 27% of their PP opportunities. However, Calgary is among the top teams at killing power plays, shutting down their opponents 81.1% of the time. We predict over 15 penalty minutes in this contest and expect two goals to come during power plays.
⭐ Connor McDavid paced the League with 24 assists and 31 points in 15 games to lift the @EdmontonOilers into second place in the Pacific Division via a 10-3-2 March.#NHLStats: https://t.co/S9XLGAKTF4 pic.twitter.com/YOcYIrwA9C
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 2, 2024
Edmonton Oilers vs Calgary Flames Betting Picks
The Edmonton Oilers are undoubtedly the better side, and the sportsbook will favor the Oilers on the moneyline. If you frequently bet on hockey events, you’ll know that wagering on favorites isn’t the best way to find value. However, we believe Edmonton will win, and the Oilers are our moneyline pick. Despite the Flames offering greater returns, we would avoid them this weekend.
You can often find worthwhile wagers on the first team to score market. These wagers are usually over quickly, so it’s fantastic for neutral fans who don’t want to watch the entire game. The Oilers scored first in two of their last three battles against the Flames. If you’re betting on the NHL this Saturday, wagering on Edmonton to post the first point is a great idea.
Player props are perfect for hardcore hockey fans who like to analyze the game before betting. Novibet lets you place wagers on skaters to score over 0.5 points. We’ve already mentioned each side’s biggest threat, but the Oilers have some interesting outsiders to monitor. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins averages 0.84 points per game and has 61 points (17G, 44A) this season. We believe Nugent-Hopkins can get over 0.5 points and offer better returns than Connor McDavid. Evander Kane is on a goal drought, but we predict the forward will find the net against the Flames. Kane got an assist against the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 23 but hasn’t posted a point since.
The most significant profits are in the correct score markets. Our correct score prediction is an Oilers 5-3 win over Calgary. However, betting on a correct score comes with increased risk, so it’s best to use a welcome bonus to lower your losses if the prediction is wrong. You could also wager on the total number of goals instead, but your potential profits will be lower. Two of their previous three battles finished with over six points, so betting on over 7.5 total points will give you a good chance of winning.
EXTENDED ✍️
The #Oilers have signed goaltender Olivier Rodrigue to a one-year, two-way contract extension through the 2024-25 season.#LetsGoOilers
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) March 30, 2024
Edmonton Oilers Team News
The Edmonton Oilers’ roster is unchanged, and they have no injuries heading into this weekend’s contest. Edmonton’s latest transaction was on March 30, with Olivier Rodrigue signing a contract extension. They’ve extended Rodrigue’s deal by one year. The goaltender has spent his entire season in the American Hockey League, representing the Bakersfield Condors 33 times. Rodrigue hasn’t played in the NHL, but it won’t be long until he makes his debut, with the Oilers valuing the goalie enough to offer him a longer deal.
Calgary Flames Team News
The Calgary Flames will probably be without Andrew Mangiapane this weekend. The forward hasn’t played since March 27, when the Flames faced the Chicago Blackhawks. Chicago won 3-1, and Mangiapane didn’t notch a point. He hasn’t posted a point in four games, previously recording an assist against the Montreal Canadiens during the Flames’ 5-2 victory. Calgary’s medical staff hasn’t cleared Dan Vladar or Dillion Dube, with both skaters recovering from long-term injuries.
The Flames haven’t made a transaction this month, and their most recent deal won’t affect their NHL roster. Calgary signed Joni Jurmo on an entry-level two-year contract, but the defenseman will start his career in the AHL. Jurmo is yet to play for the Calgary Wranglers but made 46 appearances for KooKoo and Ilves in the Finnish Liiga.
