Edmonton Oilers vs. Florida Panthers Free Preview 2/15/20

Posts AdminArticles, Hockey, NHL

Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid, and the Edmonton Oilers are set to do battle against Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, and the Florida Panthers at the BB&T Center in an East-West matchup. This one will get underway at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 15 and it will be broadcasted live on Sportsnet West.

Edmonton Oilers at Florida Panthers Odds

The Panthers (-160) are tabbed as the favorites over the Oilers (+140), and oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 7 goals (-110 for the over, -110 for the under).

Earning moneyline bettors 1.3 units, Florida is 30-27 straight up (SU) overall this year. That winning percentage, ranked 3rd in the Atlantic Division in this young season, is a welcome improvement over the 36-46 record from last year’s regular season campaign. Among its 57 games this season, 34 have gone over the total, while 20 have gone under and just three have pushed. The team is 16-13 SU at home this year.

The Panthers have been able to convert on 22.1 percent of their power play opportunities this season, a mark that places them in the top-10 among NHL teams. On the other hand, their penalty kill is ranked 25th overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 77.5 percent of all penalties.

Sporting a .896 save percentage and 26.5 saves per game, Sergei Bobrovsky (21-23-5) has been the primary goalkeeper for the Panthers this year. If Florida chooses to give him a rest, however, the team may turn to Chris Driedger (6-3-3 record, .932 save percentage, 2.35 goals against average).

On the other side of the ice, Edmonton is 30-27 straight up (SU) and has earned 4.0 units for moneyline bettors this year. A total of 28 of its contests have gone over the total, while 26 have gone under the total and just three have pushed. As the visiting team this season, the Oilers are 15-14 SU.

The Oilers come into the matchup with the second-strongest power-play unit in the NHL, as they’ve scored on 29.6 percent of their extra-man chances this season. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked fifth overall and it’s successfully defended 83.5 percent of all opponent power plays.

Mikko Koskinen (27.1 saves per game) has been the primary option in the net for Edmonton. Koskinen owns a 16-15-2 record, while registering a .909 save percentage and 2.91 goals against average this year.

Edmonton Oilers vs. Florida Panthers Free Picks

Pick: SU Winner – Panthers, O/U – Over

Betting Notes

  • The Panthers are 3-3 in games decided by a shootout this season while the Oilers are 2-2 in shootouts.
  • For both of these teams, the total has gone over in three of their last five outings.
  • Eight of Edmonton’s last ten games have been decided by two goals or more. The team is 5-3 in those games.
  • Edmonton skaters have accounted for the 12th-most hits in the league (22.2 per game).