Flames vs Oilers

The Oilers roll into this one 7-2-1 in their last 10 and fresh off another statement win over Vegas, while the Flames have steadied with back-to-back victories but are still only just starting to dig out from an ugly early-season hole. With Tristan Jarry sidelined, Edmonton is leaning on newly recalled Connor Ingram, who looked composed in his debut, whereas Calgary’s blue line is down Jake Bean and missing Zayne Parekh to the World Juniors, forcing heavy minutes on MacKenzie Weegar and Rasmus Andersson and thinning their puck-moving depth. Edmonton’s top end is simply on another tier right now: McDavid is on a double-digit point streak and has historically torched Calgary, Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman are driving a lethal top six, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is humming on the power play, while Nazem Kadri carries the offensive load for a Flames team that had to come from 3-0 down to steal the opener in a shootout. Given Edmonton’s recent surge, home ice at Rogers Place, and Calgary still sitting multiple points back of a wild-card spot despite its mini-streak, laying the moneyline with the Oilers at -170 is my preferred side, graded A- for a strong combination of win probability and reasonable price in a rivalry spot. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 23/12/2025 09:56am

Recent form for both sides screams volatility on the scoreboard: Calgary’s last stretch has featured wide-open nights like 7-4 over Buffalo and 6-3 over Vegas, and Edmonton has been trading chances in games that routinely land at seven or more total goals, powered by an attack that has McDavid, Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard piling up points while secondary pieces like Nugent-Hopkins and Hyman stay hot. Injuries push this total toward chaos rather than control—Bean’s absence and Parekh’s unavailability punch a hole in Calgary’s transition game and defensive depth, while the Oilers are without Jarry and are still integrating Ingram behind a group that just gave up five to Minnesota and three to Vegas. On top of the current scoring trends, McDavid’s career production against Calgary and Kadri’s history of success versus Edmonton suggest both top lines are well-positioned to drive pace and special-teams opportunities, and the first meeting already got to six in regulation before the shootout winner. With two aggressive offenses, shaky blue lines, and a rivalry that tends to tilt toward track meets when the stars get going, I like Over 6.5 at -105 and would grade it a B—solid value at near even money, but with enough goaltending talent on both sides to keep it short of elite confidence. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 23/12/2025 09:56am

Edmonton has stacked up multi-goal wins lately—6-3 in Florida, 6-2 over Winnipeg, 6-4 in Pittsburgh, and 3-1 decisions against defensive clubs like Boston and Detroit—showing how quickly McDavid’s line, Draisaitl’s playmaking, and Bouchard’s puck-moving can turn a tight game into a comfortable margin, while many Calgary losses still skew lopsided, as in the 6-3 defeat in San Jose and earlier 5-1 setbacks. The injury picture nudges this toward the favorite covering: without Bean and Parekh, Calgary’s back end is thinner behind Weegar and Andersson, raising the risk of late breakdowns and empty-net goals, and on the other side Edmonton’s defense has been stabilized by Mattias Ekholm and Darnell Nurse even as they protect Ingram in Jarry’s absence. Historically, McDavid has driven big nights in this matchup and Draisaitl just hit the 400-goal milestone against these same Flames, while Kadri, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Matt Coronato will need to generate enough pressure on Dustin Wolf’s counterattacks to avoid chasing the game late like they did after falling behind 3-0 on opening night. Given the Oilers’ current scoring clip, home-ice last change, and tendency to stretch leads when they’re rolling, I’ll lay -1.5 with Edmonton at -143 but only grade it B-, acknowledging the rivalry’s one-goal history and the fact that the price is rich compared with the cleaner moneyline. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 23/12/2025 09:56am