The slumping Edmonton Oilers host the Chicago Blackhawks, Tuesday Jan 26, as the Hawks look to hand the Oilers their 11th straight loss. The Blackhawks lead the Oilers 6-4 SU in their last ten meetings. NHL oddsmakers at SPORTSBOOK.com have the Blackhawks as -220 moneyline favs over the Oilers (+180) with the over/under set at 5.5 goals . Be sure to get your Chicago Blackhawks vs Edmonton Oilers NHL Picks in now at SPORTSBOOK.com
The Blackhawks (33-13-0-4) have won six of their last ten games and three of five road trips. The Hawks are currently on an eight-game road trip that ends on Jan. 30 in North Carolina. They are 14-8-0-3 SU on the road where they average 3.12 GAG and allow an average 2.32 GAG. They last played in Vancouver where they lost 1-5. Jonathan Toews netted his 17 goal as the Hawks lone scorer. Blackhawks goaltender Antti Niemi gave up three goals on 12 shots in the first period before getting pulled from the game. Cristobal Huet made 14 saves the rest of the way. Huet is expected to get the start tonight, he is 3-1-0 with a 1.76 GAA vs the Oilers . Huet is 22-9-0-3 overall with a 2.26 GAA and a .904 SVPCT. The Division-leading Blackhawks have 74pts and are four back of the San Jose Sharks for the most in the NHL. The Blackhawks are ranked fourth on offense, averaging 3.2 GAG and they are scoring 21.0 % on the power play for a total of 39 power play goals. The dynamic duo of Johnathan Toews and Patrick Kane have a combined 38 goals (99 overall points).
The Oilers (16-28-2-4) just can’t stop losing, losing 10 straight and six home games. They are 9-14-2-2 SU at home where they average 2.93 GAG and allow 3.59 GAG. They recently lost 3-4 to Dallas at home. Sam Gagner netted a pair and Ryan Potulny banged one in with 1:02 left in regulation to even things up, but Dallas scored with 22.2 seconds left to deal Edmonton a crushing loss. "It's just not good enough. We can battle back all we want, if we lose the game it doesn't matter," said Ryan Potulny, "It's not enough to just battle back. We have to win these games." Edmonton hasn't won since December 30 and is now last in the NHL with 38pts, one back of Carolina. A big reason for the Oilers slump is the season ending injury to starting goalie Nikolai Khabibulin . Jeff Deslauriers has taken his place and is 9-14-1-2 with a 3.18 GAA and a .896 SVPCT. It is unknown who will start in net for Edmonton tonight, but Deslauriers made his first-ever appearance versus Chicago, in November, and stopped 25 of the 30 shots he faced. Dubnyk has never before faced Chicago. The Oilers are ranked 21st on offense, averaging 2.6 GAG and they are scoring 19.3 % on the power play for a total of 36 power play goals .
Recent Trends to Consider:
- Blackhawks are 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
- Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
- Blackhawks are 5-12-1 in the last 18 meetings in Edmonton.
- Road team is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
- Blackhawks are 6-1 in their last 7 games as a favorite of -201 or greater.
- Blackhawks are 5-1 in their last 6 games playing on 2 days rest.
Chicago Blackhawks vs Edmonton Oilers
When: Tues, Jan 26, 2010 9:30 PM ET
Line: SPORTSBOOK.com
Pick: Hawks -220
Point-Spreads.com Chicago Blackhawks vs Edmonton Oilers NHL Picks
The Bottom Line: Hawks are hot while the Oilers are not. Be sure to get your Chicago Blackhawks vs Edmonton Oilers NHL Picks in now at SPORTSBOOK.com and Get a 50% Deposit Bonus and $25 Free Bet at SPORTSBOOK.com, simply use promo code WIN100 and start winning today!
