Edmonton Oilers aim for commanding 2-0 series lead over Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday
The Golden Knights were stunned in their first game versus the Oilers as Leon Draisaitl and company came back from a two-goal deficit with four unanswered goals for a shocking 4-2 victory.
Vegas will look to come back and even up the series while Edmonton looks to take a commanding 2-0 series lead before heading back home.
For bettors, this matchup provides a chance to capitalize on some of our recent strong trends, like our 31-21 record on our last 51 picks, including perfect records during Game 1 and 4 of the Maple Leafs-Senators series.
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Edmonton Oilers vs Vegas Golden Knights Best Bets:
- Golden Knights ML (-134)
- Golden Knights Over 3.5 goals (+104)
- Golden Knights Score First (-125)
- Tomas Hertl Over 0.5 points (-156)
- Ivan Barbashev Over 0.5 points (+142)
It would be very surprising to see the Golden Knights drop both of their home games to start the series as they’ve done this just once in their last 19 home playoff games.
We can expect a much harder effort in this spot and there’s a pair of forwards that should snap point droughts in Tomas Hertl and Ivan Barbashev, who both have gone three games without finding the scoresheet.
Barbashev dominated during the Golden Knights series versus Edmonton in 2023 with three goals and three assists for six points through as many games.
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The 29-year-old Russian winger is listed on Vegas’ top line and will most definitely continue seeing chances while playing with a superstar centre in Jack Eichel and the Golden Knights top playoff performer in recent years with captain Mark Stone.
Hertl hasn’t found the same success in this matchup with one point over his last six games versus Edmonton but that could mean he is due for a big game.
The former San Jose Shark has been red hot to end the season and into the first round with four goals and three assists for seven points over a five-game stretch before his recent cold streak. He also plays meaningful minutes as he’s slated on the team’s second line and mans the top power play unit.
The two should give the Golden Knights a massive push on offence while the Oilers continue to have defensive woes with three or more goals allowed in five of their seven playoff games so far.
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