NHL Betting Odds, Picks and Predictions (Wednesday, August 5): Chicago Blackhawks vs. Edmonton Oilers Game 3

Game 3 Betting Odds: Chicago Blackhawks vs. Edmonton Oilers

Odds as of Wednesday afternoon and via DraftKings. Get up to a $1,000 sign-up bonus at DraftKings today or see more offers and reviews for the best online sportsbooks.

The Chicago Blackhawks-Edmonton Oilers series has been as advertised. Defense optional. Goals every couple of minutes. Connor McDavid having a ball out there turning Chicago’s defensemen into highlight fodder.

After getting worked at 5-on-5 in Game 1, the Oilers turned the table on the Hawks in Game 2. That kind of seesaw battle is what we expected from two dazzling-but-flawed teams. Both teams are loaded with scoring talent. Neither team has a good defense. More of these 1980s-style games are to be expected.

In all likelihood, this series, and each individual game, will come down to which team gets more reliable goaltending. The Oilers helped their cause in Game 2 by switching out Mike Smith in favor of Mikko Koskinen, but Corey Crawford still projects out as the best netminder in this series. Koskinen closes that gap, but Crawford is still a tier or two above Edmonton's new No. 1.

The Oilers have been the better 5-on-5 team but the nature of this matchup is that both of these teams are so volatile that it's hard to get a read from such a small sample.

Expected goals (also known as xG) is a predictive statistic that gives an indication of whether results are based on sustainable factors like a steady creation of scoring chances, or whether it is down to aspects such as shooting luck or outstanding goaltending.

Simply put, an expected goals rate (xGF%) above 50% is considered good because it means a team is creating the majority of the scoring chances. Anything below 50% is usually a sign that a team is struggling to control play.

Stats cited from Natural Stat Trick.

Odds via DraftKings

As you can tell, the market has kind of settled on a range for this series. The Oilers can be found between -127 and -135 as of early on Wednesday afternoon and I'd be pretty surprised if these odds move that much, though if the line does move it'll likely be towards Edmonton as the Oilers have received 66% of the bets so far (12:30 p.m. ET).

Considering how good Edmonton looked in the most recent game, I'd expect the Oilers to continue to attract most of the action.

At the current prices, I'd likely pass on the game. If a +120 pops on Chicago I'd take it and hope Crawford can out-duel Koskinen. If that number doesn't come and you're looking for action, I'll probably throw some money on Kirby Dach (Chicago) to be the first goal-scorer at 25-1 (bet365).