Blues vs Oilers

With Edmonton sitting second in the Pacific at 24-17-8 and 11-6-4 at home, and St. Louis down at 6th in the Central at 19-21-8 with a 7-12-3 road mark, the situational edge sits firmly with the Oilers even on the second night of a back-to-back. Edmonton just steamrolled Vancouver 6-0 and is 5-3-2 in its last 10, while the Blues ride a modest two-game winning streak after beating Carolina and stunning Tampa Bay in a shootout, but that surge comes after three straight losses and hasn’t cured their season-long road issues. The key injury note is Leon Draisaitl’s leave of absence, which removes a huge finisher and power-play threat for Edmonton, yet St. Louis is missing its own offensive engine with Robert Thomas plus forward depth pieces Mathieu Joseph and Pius Suter on injured reserve, leaving Jordan Kyrou and Pavel Buchnevich to carry a heavier load. Head-to-head, the Blues did take the first meeting 3-2 in St. Louis and are 4-2-2 in the last eight against Edmonton, but McDavid’s long-term dominance of this matchup (well over a point per game against the Blues) combined with the Oilers’ stronger underlying offense and the emotional boost of Nugent-Hopkins’ milestone tilt this toward the home side despite the fatigue factor. From a value standpoint, -167 doesn’t offer a huge payout and more or less prices Edmonton in the low-60% win-probability range, but given the home/road split, roster health asymmetry and playoff positioning stakes, I still see enough edge to grade this Oilers moneyline as an A- confidence play rather than a true top-shelf A+. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 18/01/2026 09:29

The total at 6 reflects a clash between a Blues team averaging only about 2.5 goals for and 3.4 against and an Oilers side scoring around 3.4 and allowing 3.2, which gives you a combined scoring environment just under the number before you even factor in pace and special teams. Edmonton’s recent form has been high variance but offense-forward—6-0 over Vancouver, 4-3 games against Nashville and Los Angeles—and even without Draisaitl, they still roll out McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins, Zach Hyman and a deep supporting cast that just lit up the Canucks in a six-goal second period. St. Louis suppresses its own scoring with Thomas and Suter out, yet historically they’ve produced against Edmonton: the Blues have scored a power-play goal in eight of their last 10 games versus the Oilers, Kyrou has 15 points in 15 career meetings, and Brayden Schenn has nearly a point per game against them, all of which tends to drag these matchups into at least moderate-scoring territory. With both clubs squarely in the playoff race past the midway point, I expect urgency to drive minutes for the stars, and Edmonton’s back-to-back plus the Blues’ recent uptick in finishing (three or more goals in each of their last two) slightly tilts things away from a tight 2-1 style game. Over 6 at -125 does carry a tax and pushes on exactly six, so the payout isn’t spectacular and leaves little margin for a true goaltending duel; that combination of decent but not overwhelming statistical support and middling price keeps this in solid-but-not-elite territory at a B grade. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 18/01/2026 09:29

Given how often this matchup ends within a goal—3-2 Blues in November, 3-2 Oilers in last season’s OT meeting, and 4-3 in Edmonton last spring—taking St. Louis at +1.5 on the puckline leans into a long-running pattern of tight games, especially with Edmonton missing Draisaitl and the Blues still capable of generating enough offense through Kyrou, Buchnevich, Schenn and an active blue line led by Justin Faulk and Colton Parayko. St. Louis’ recent form supports that “hang around” profile: after a rough three-game losing stretch, they’ve won two straight over Carolina and Tampa Bay and have generally been competitive in one-goal scenarios, while Edmonton has dropped three of its last five despite that emphatic 6-0 win, a reminder that their defensive structure can wobble even when they control play. Goaltending also nudges toward a close result more than a blowout—Joel Hofer has been trusted in important spots for the Blues lately, and the Oilers’ home-ice edge plus Nugent-Hopkins’ milestone energy should still make a regulation Edmonton win more likely than not, but by a single goal more often than by two or more. From a betting perspective, though, laying -167 on a +1.5 cushion offers limited monetary upside relative to the risk if the Oilers’ elite talent finally breaks this recent one-goal trend, so while the combination of historical margins, current injuries and playoff-intensity profile justify backing the Blues to stay within a goal, the modest payout ceiling drops this puckline recommendation to a B- rather than a stronger endorsement. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 18/01/2026 09:29