Will the Oilers pull off the coup in Washington?

Just before the All-Star Break, Leon Draisaitl and his Oilers must travel to the capital once again to take on the Washington Capitals. A difficult task on paper, but Edmonton is currently in better shape than the standings indicate.

After all, they have played up to seven games less than some of their rivals. The Caps have also had to play five more games, the last of which was on Wednesday night when they beat the Penguins 4-3 in overtime.

So Ovechkin and Co. are coming off a very intense game from Pittsburgh and the home-ice advantage is not as great as if they had had a day off. The Oilers, on the other hand, had that day of rest, which is why we don’t necessarily see them as the underdogs in this duel.

Our forecast for Capitals vs. Oilers is therefore also a duel of equals, in which McDavid, Draisaitl and Co. could well manage a small surprise. With Evander Kane, they also have another top forward in the squad since a few days.

Begin of the last game of both teams before the All-Star Break is on Thursday night at 1:00 a.m. in Washington.

Washington Capitals – Statistics & current form

The Capitals did manage to hold off the Penguins 4-3 in overtime on Wednesday night, but used up a lot of grit in the process. In total, they faced 47 shots as a team, which already says that they were only victorious with a bit of luck.

Moreover, such a constant bombardment also means that they were always a step behind, which was also visible on the ice. Even the 28:20 hits could not hide that.

Caps at home in the low

It was also another Washington away win, their second in a row after Saturday’s emphatic 5-0 in Dallas. At home, however, they have lost their last two games, scoring a paltry total of goals.

So it’s a good thing for them that the Oilers, a defensively weak team, are coming to the capital. Nevertheless, since their defence has also been weak lately, we expect a shootout in which the tired Caps could also lose out.

Ovechkin without fortune lately

As little danger as the entire Caps team has been at home lately, so has their top scorer Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin has gone four games without a goal or an assist, a rare occurrence in his career.

This could change against Edmonton, but all in all we don’t think it will be a clear affair for Washington. Therefore, the odds on the underdogs from Edmonton are clearly recommended for Caps vs. Oilers.

Key Players:
G: Vitek Vanecek
D: Martin Fehervary
D: John Carlson
LW: Alex Ovechkin
C: Evgeny Kuznetsov
RW: Tom Wilson

Edmonton Oilers – Statistics & current form

The Oilers are only 6th in the Pacific Division and only 11th in the Western Division, but that’s less bad than it sounds since they have played significantly fewer games than their competition due to a pandemic-related break.

Thus, with each additional win, they can move closer to the other teams and overtake them in the end. In Washington, the chance of another two points is not so small when we look at the conditions.

Oilers are on the upswing

Since their break with numerous game cancellations, Leon Draisaitl’s men are at 4-2 wins and they also had 39-31 shots in their last loss in Ottawa. The Canadians are in good form, which was especially evident in the clear 7:2 win in Montréal at the weekend.

A positive point is certainly the addition of Evander Kane, who joined the Oilers after his suspension. If we disregard the human component for a moment – as a player, the former all-star is certainly a clear upgrade.

In his first game against the Canadiens, he scored the important 1:0. Leon Draisaitl also had a big night in this game and increased his goal tally to a strong 31 goals.

How good is their defence?

If there’s one weakness that’s broken the Oilers’ back a few times this season, it’s their defence. With 3.29 goals conceded per game, they are among the ten weakest defensive teams here.

However, with the Caps a little tired going into the game and the Oilers rested, this disadvantage could be put into perspective. For Washington vs. Edmonton, a bet on the Oilers is therefore more worth considering for value reasons than betting on the favourites from the capital.

Key Players:
G: Mikko Koskinen
D: Darnell Nurse
D: Evan Bouchard
LW: Evander Kane
C: Connor McDavid
RW: Kailer Yamamoto

Washington Capitals – Edmonton Oilers Direct Comparison / H2H-Balance

This duel has been very rare in recent years for several reasons. Of course, the teams play in different conferences and then there was also the re-division due to the pandemic in recent years.

So the last direct encounters were several years ago and are not very meaningful. Here it is much more the current form that has to be taken into account, which Edmonton shows with a great offensive power. In their last five games, the Oilers scored 20 goals, the Caps only 13 in comparison.

While the Oilers’ defence is a little weaker than the Capitals’ (12 to 10 goals against in this period), that’s not enough for us to call Washington a clear favourite. Thus, for Capitals vs Oilers, the odds on Edmonton are our betting recommendation.

Washington Capitals – Edmonton Oilers Tip

We’ve touched on the Oilers’ slightly better offensive form; however, the main reason we see them slightly ahead is their day more rest. Especially after this exhausting first half of the season, that can be the deciding factor in the end.

After this game, it’s time for the All-Star break, but both teams still have to play once. Since we see Edmonton as more rested, betting on the away team for Capitals vs. Oilers is also the top betting option for this matchup from a value perspective.

If we also look at the last results of both teams, then we expect some goals again. More than 5.5 goals is a number that should be reached, especially since the defensive lines of both teams have had to work very hard lately and are likely to be exhausted.