The Utah Mammoth (8-2-0) and the Edmonton Oilers (4-4-2) meet in a Western Conference battle tonight. Puck drop is set for 9:30 p.m. EDT at Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
The Oilers are favored by -1.5 on the puck line, with the over/under set at 6.5 (+100o / -130u). The Oilers are a -155 favorite to win outright, while the Mammoth are +130 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Mammoth vs. Oilers predictions and NHL picks.
Mammoth vs. Oilers Odds, Pick
| Utah Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -192 | 6.5 110o / -130u | +130 |
| Oilers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +160 | 6.5 110o / -130u | -155 |
- Mammoth vs. Oilers Spread: Mammoth +1.5 (-192), Oilers -1.5 (+160)
- Mammoth vs. Oilers Over/Under: 6.5 (+100o / -130u)
- Mammoth vs. Oilers Moneyline: Mammoth +130, Oilers -155
Mammoth vs. Oilers Preview
Utah Mammoth
Is Utah a wagon? People are talking, because it seems to be true.
For years, we’ve been clamoring for this team to finally get over the hump, and not to jinx the Mammoth, but I’ve been liking what I’m seeing.
We knew what to expect out of Clayton Keller, but the boost that Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther have given this team has been huge. Not only that, the addition of JJ Peterka may be one of the more underrated pickups of this offseason.
And so far, the numbers are adding up.
Utah is playing to a top-10, 54.12 xGF% on offense, while the defense has been buzzing as well, playing to a 2.53 xGA/60.
But what’s been astounding is the work of the Mammoth’s goaltending. Both Karel Vejmelka and Vitek Vanecek have been fantastic so far, with Vejmelka getting the bulk of the starts.
From the looks of it, Vejmelka will be getting the start once again tonight and that shouldn’t surprise you. With a high-powered offense like Edmonton, you want your top netminder to get the nod.
His save percentage is shockingly low given Utah’s record, at .905%, but his 6.1 GSAx suggests that he’s been stopping at an appropriate rate.
Edmonton Oilers
The annual slow start for the Edmonton Oilers is upon us!
As you can tell, I’m not worried about the Oilers moving forward. For the past two seasons, they’ve started absurdly slow, only to end up reaching the Stanley Cup Finals.
Connor McDavid may not be scoring as much, but he’s racking up the appropriate amount of assists to come along with it. Plus, Leon Draisaitl is up to his usual antics with a team-leading seven goals.
Edmonton’s metrics don’t look bad for a team that’s supposedly struggling. It’s 5-on-5 play has fared well with a 51.01 xGF% and defensively, I’ve been impressed with its ninth-best 2.34 xGA/60.
The Oilers’ star defenseman Evan Bouchard, though, has been a total nightmare on the defensive end so far, and with how much Utah has been lighting the lamp, that nightmare could continue.
Don’t get me started on their goaltending though. Stuart Skinner has been exhausting to watch. As someone who’s monitored the Oilers closely, you never know what you’re going to get out of him.
Currently, he’s at a .903 SV%, posting less-than-stellar games in his past four starts. And with the Mammoth coming up, I think we see those struggles again.
Mammoth vs. Oilers Prediction
October is the month of unpredictability.
The teams you think will run the table, don’t, and the unexpected ones start off blazing hot.
For the Oilers, their time will come, but something tells me that Utah’s run isn’t an aberration. Currently, the Mammoth find themselves in a position where they typically haven’t been – as an underdog.
They pulled out a gritty win in Winnipeg on Sunday, and prior to that, stomped the Blues and the Wild.
This may be the final game of an exhausting road trip for Utah, but Edmonton’s current unpredictability has me turned off from trusting it.
I like the Mammoth to pull this one out, and go perfect on this road trip.
Pick: Utah Mammoth ML
