Flames vs Oilers December 27 Prediction: Edmonton Looking to Avoid 8th Loss in Last 10 Games
- The Calgary Flames (19-15-5) face the Edmonton Oilers (20-16-4) at Rogers Place Friday night
- The Oilers rank 20th in goals scored despite having the top two point-getters in the league due to a lack of secondary scoring
- The Flames are 6-3-1 in their last ten games and have seemed to turn a corner under new head coach Geoff Ward
Two teams many expected to battle for the Pacific Division crown face off Friday night in Edmonton. Read on for the odds and full betting preview for Calgary at Edmonton on December 27.
Flames vs Oilers Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calgary Flames | -1.5 (+205) | -120 | O 5.5 (-125) |
| Edmonton Oilers | +1.5 (-245) | EVEN | U 5.5 (-+105) |
Odds taken Dec. 26
The Flames and Oilers are two teams that appear to be heading in different directions. Calgary fired head coach Bill Peters and seem to have turned a corner with a 6-3-1 record in their last 10 games. Edmonton on the other hand, after starting the season with five straight wins, they have only 15 wins in 35 games. As for this match up? I’m siding with the Flames to win big and here’s why.
First Christmas with the family 🎄 pic.twitter.com/sFZTRtu2XI
— Milan Lucic (@27MilanLucic) December 26, 2019
McDavid & Draisaitl Can Only Do So Much
The Oilers dynamic duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl can’t be faulted for the mounting losses in Edmonton. McDavid leads the league with 62 points and Draisaitl sits second only one point back. Despite their otherworldly production, the Oilers sit 20th in goals scored this season due in large part to a tragic lack of secondary scoring.
The best from The Best. Here are Connor McDavid's top moments in the @EdmontonOilers' first half of the season. pic.twitter.com/My4NpsTceO
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 26, 2019
The next highest scoring player on the Oilers is Zack Kassian and he has only 26 points. The 36 point gap between first and third on the team in scoring is unsurprisingly, the highest in the league. Worse still? Edmonton only has five players with more than seven goals on the season.
Goaltending Woes Big Problem for Edmonton
Mikko Koskinen and Mike Smith have done little to answer questions about the teams goaltending woes. They have combined for a 3.08 goals against average which is 17th in the league and getting worse by the day. Edmonton has won only four of their 14 games with the combo of Koskinen and Smith allowing four or more goals eight times over that stretch.
Mike Smith is not happy with Evgeni Malkin pic.twitter.com/bTda9Cp40z
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) December 21, 2019
Mike Smith and his .893 save percentage is likely to get the call after the Christmas break but it shouldn’t matter much against the Flames offense that appears to be finding it’s way under new head coach Geoff Ward. Even if the Oilers go with Koskinen, I’d stay confident in betting on Calgary.
Consider Betting Flames on the Puck Line
The Flames vs Oilers odds suggest this could be a tight matchup between provincial rivals but I’m not convinced. Edmonton is a two-horse team and it’s becoming increasingly evident that even when those two horses are performing at a top-level, it still isn’t enough to get the Oilers into the win column. I’d consider taking the Flames on the puck line at -1.5. The +205 payout is worth the risk and despite the game being played in Edmonton, I’m confident Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, Matthew Tkachuk and the rest of the Flames forwards will score enough to help the bet hit.
Pick: Calgary Flames -1.5 (+205)
Ryan has been working at TSN for over eleven years, and is now a lead writer and content producer at That's Hockey. Over the years, he's launched and hosted TSN's first NCAAF podcast, The College Football Show, and been featured on the likes of TSN 1050, Sportscentre, and That's Hockey 2Nite.
