The Edmonton Oilers (0-2-0) have had a rough start to the new NHL season and will be desperate to avoid another negative result on Tuesday on the road against the Nashville Predators (1-2-0).
Bookmaker BetOnline has the odds at -143 for Edmonton to finally get its first win of the campaign. The odds are at +127 for Nashville to triumph, with the goals total set at 6.5.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: October 16th, 6:30 P.M. (EST)
The Oilers were rocked by the Vancouver Canucks in an 8-1 defeat on opening night and also failed to match the Canucks three days later in a rematch, losing 4-3. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have enjoyed fine starts to the season by recording three points each, but it looks like the defense will once again be Edmonton’s Achilles heel in 2023-24.
Nashville has had a mixed start to the season. The team has battled well in all outings so far but has only one win from three games to show for it. However, the two losses came in tight clashes against top sides in Tampa Bay and Boston, and the Predators should still be satisfied with their work in the opening week.
Only a few expect to see Andrew Brunette’s team have success in 2023-24, and Nashville could end up surprising more than a few opponents. In Juuse Saros, the Predators at least have a goalie who can steal a game for his squad on any night.
Saros already has one shutout to his name, having stopped Seattle from scoring last week in the team’s home opener. He boasts a 2.05 goals-against average overall through the first three starts of the campaign and has registered a .920 save percentage. On Tuesday, the Finnish netminder should relish the opportunity of stopping a pair of the finest attacking talents the NHL has to offer.
In previous nine match-ups against the Oilers, Saros has tallied two shutouts and boasts a respectable 2.69 goals-against average with a .926 save percentage, but McDavid and Draisaitl have both skated laps around the Predators at times. The Oilers captain has totaled 33 points in 19 career games against Nashville, while the German star has tallied a whopping 22 goals and 35 points in 23 games.
With McDavid and Draisaitl scoring at will, this match-up has a history of being full of goals, and the over has gone 5-2 in the last seven games. The Oilers have won eight of the previous nine clashes, but they typically don’t like to visit the Music City, having lost 19 of the last 28 games hosted by the Predators.
