Oilers vs. Predators prediction, odds, pick – 10/17/2024

The Edmonton Oilers will battle the Nashville Predators on Thursday at Bridgestone Arena. It will be a showdown in Music City as we share our NHL odds series and make an Oilers-Predators prediction and pick.

The Oilers rallied a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers in overtime. Now, after four miserable games, the Oilers finally got into the win column.

The Predators are having a horrible start to their season. Despite basically winning the free agency sweepstakes and signing two amazing players, they are 0-3 to start the season.

Here are the Oilers-Predators NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

NHL Odds: Oilers-Predators Odds

Edmonton Oilers: -1.5 (+210)

Moneyline: -114

Nashville Predators: +1.5 (-260)

Moneyline: -105

Over: 6.5 (-106)

Under: 6.5 (-114)

How To Watch Oilers vs Predators

Time: 8 PM ET/5 PM PT

TV: ESPN+ and Bally Sports South

Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)

Why the Oilers Could Cover the Spread/Win

• Connor McDavid has notched 11 goals and 29 assists over 22 games against the Predators.
• Leon Draisaitl has tallied 25 goals and 17 assists with a plus-minus of +6 over 26 games against the Predators.
• Zach Hyman has tallied seven goals and nine assists over 15 games against Nashville.
• Stuart Skinner is 1-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average and a save percentage of .966 in his one game against the Predators.

Draisaitl scored the winner on Tuesday, but not before a benching for taking a bad penalty late in the second period. Stunningly, it has not been a good start for him, as he only has two goals and one assist through five. McDavid has also been relatively quiet compared to what he usually does. So far, he has distributed four helpers but still has not gotten a goal. Zach Hyman has been awful and still has not scored a point. Likewise, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins only has one assist. Even Evan Bouchard has struggled, with just one goal in four contests.

The Oilers are 26th in goals after five games and the second-worst in the NHL in shooting percentage. Furthermore, they have struggled on the powerplay to start the season, ranking 22nd in powerplay conversion.

The defense and goaltending have been awful. So far, they are 30th in goals against and also rank dead last on the penalty kill. Skinner has been dreadful, going 1-2 with a 4.42 goals-against average and a save percentage of .845. The Oilers expect him to bounce back and be their goalie the rest of the way.

The Oilers will cover the spread if they can get some scoring chances for their stars. Then, the defense must tighten up spaces and not allow the Preds to get good shots.

Why the Predators Could Cover the Spread/Win

• Steven Stamkos has notched 16 goals and seven assists with a plus-minus of +4 over 19 games against the Oilers.
• Jusse Saros is 3-5-1 with a 3.06 goals-against average and a save percentage of .916 against the Oilers in his career.
• Filip Forsberg has tallied 12 goals and 12 assists over 25 career games against the Oilers.
• Jonathan Marchessault has tallied 11 goals and nine assists over 23 games against Edmonton.

Coach Andrew Brunette criticized his team for playing firewagon hockey, which basically means they’re trying hard to show their offensive talent and forgetting to play defense. Ironically, the Predators rank 29th in goals after four games and are last in the NHL in shooting percentage. Nashville also has struggled on the powerplay, converting only 9.1 percent of its chances.

The newest prize, Steven Stamkos, has not scored a point yet. Meanwhile, Jonathan Marchessault has tallied two helpers. Filip Forsberg is doing well, with one goal and two assists. Also, Ryan O’Reilly has one goal and one assist over three games. But the rest of the offense has been nonexistent, and more must be done.

Saros is 0-2 with a 4.19 goals-against average and a save percentage of .855. Unfortunately, he has played behind a sloppy defense and also struggled to make saves.

The Predators will cover the spread if they can gain control of the puck and make plays. Then, the defense must key in on McDavid and Draisaitl and prevent them from gaining too many chances.

Final Oilers-Predators Prediction & Pick

The Oilers are 0-5 against the spread this season and have either gotten blown out or did not cover their advantage. Meanwhile, the Predators are 1-3 against the spread this season. The Oilers are 0-1 against the spread on the road, while the Predators are 1-2 against the odds at home.

The Oilers went 2-1 against the Predators. Amazingly, they are 8-1-1 over the past 10 games against the Preds, and 10-1-1 over 12 games. The Oilers are also 4-0-1 over the past five games in Nashville. Meanwhile, the teams have combined for over 6.5 goals in four of the past five games. Neither team has looked impressive this season. However, the Oilers may have finally awoken on Tuesday while the Predators are still dragging their skates. The boost will help the Oilers, and I fully expect them to take care of business.

Final Oilers-Predators Prediction & Pick: Edmonton Oilers: -1.5 (+210)

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