Oilers vs Flames Game 1 Odds, Picks and Predictions

• The Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames play Game 1 on Wednesday, May 18th
• Calgary is listed as home favorites in the Game 1 Oilers vs Flames odds
• Read below for Oilers vs Flames Game 1 odds, picks, and predictions

The Battle of Alberta has made its way into the NHL Playoffs. The Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames faceoff in Game 1 of their Round 2 series on Wednesday, May 18th. Puck drop is 9:30 PM EST at Scotiabank Saddledome.

Calgary is listed as -159 home favorites in the Game 1 Oilers vs Flames odds. The total is set at 6 for a rivalry matchup that will be broadcast nationally by ESPN and CBC.

Let’s take a look at the Oilers vs Flames odds and find the NHL best bet for Game 1.

Oilers vs Flames Odds

Odds as of May 17th at Caesars Sportsbook. See available Caesars Sportsbook promos.

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The Flames are listed on the puck line at +143 odds, while the Oilers are priced at -175 to keep the game within two goals.

Not only is Calgary favored to win Game 1, but they’ve opened as -190 favorites in the Flames vs Oilers series odds.

Edmonton vs Calgary Betting Analysis

The Oilers and Flames meet in Round 2 after both winning their respective opening-round series in seven games. Edmonton took down the LA Kings in Round 1, while Calgary required Game 7 overtime to get past the Dallas Stars.

Calgary had an outstanding 60 xGF% at five-on-five versus Dallas but were stymied by goalie Jake Oettinger. Edmonton, meanwhile, controlled most of the puck possession in their series versus LA, posting a 57.1 xGF%.

AND A CELLY FOR THE AGES. #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/OGrP8sbR0e

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) May 15, 2022

Edmonton’s lethal power play is one of the reasons to consider betting them as underdogs in the NHL odds. They converted 36.8% of their man-advantage opportunities in Round 1 and feature the NHL’s postseason scoring leader in Connor McDavid (14 PTS).

The Flames can defeat the Oilers by relying on their elite defense and winning the goalie battle. Calgary had the NHL’s third-best defense in the regular season and only allowed two goals per game in Round 1.

The goalie matchup for Oilers vs Flames pits Mike Smith against Jacob Markstrom. Smith posted a .938 save percentage and 2.29 GAA in Round 1, while Markstrom recorded a .943 save percentage and 1.53 GAA.

Oilers vs Flames Injury Report

There are some important injuries to note before making a Game 1 wager on Oilers vs Flames. Calgary top-four defenseman Chris Tanev is dealing with a lower-body injury and is questionable for Game 1. A good sign is that Tanev practiced with the team Tuesday.

Chris Tanev is on the ice for #Flames practice. #StanleyCup #BattleofAlberta pic.twitter.com/aI95XugxVD

— Derek Wills (@Fan960Wills) May 17, 2022

Flames veteran forward Sean Monahan remains sidelined with a hip injury. Monahan has been offering moral support to the Flames during their playoff run, but he won’t be playing in the playoffs following season-ending hip surgery.

The Oilers, meanwhile, don’t have any listed injuries entering Game 1. It’s worth noting, however, that superstar Leon Draisaitl played through an ankle sprain in Game 7 versus LA. At this time of year, he’s likely one of many players battling through pain.

Edmonton vs Calgary Betting Trends

The betting trends for the Battle of Alberta point towards the home team in Game 1. Calgary has taken four of the past five meetings played at Scotiabank Saddledome and the “over” has cashed in 13 of the last 20 meetings.

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