The Edmonton Oilers conclude their three-game road trip with a matchup against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Friday night.
Edmonton fell on Long Island 3-1 earlier this week before a big 6-3 win in New Jersey last night. On the other hand, New York has won three straight games and had two days off after their 5-2 win in Toronto on Tuesday evening. They're the favorites at home in the NHL odds.
Can the Rangers stay hot as they return home? Read on for our Oilers vs. Rangers NHL picks and predictions for Friday, December 22.
Oilers vs Rangers odds
Oilers vs Rangers predictions
The New York Rangers have been one of the best teams in the league over the first few months of the season and they aren’t showing any signs of slowing down. They’re 22-7-1 overall and have defended home ice well with a 10-3-0 record at Madison Square Garden.
The Edmonton Oilers have bounced back from a horrific start, but they’re just under .500 at 14-15-1, including a paltry 5-9-0 record on the road.
The Rangers have a lot of things going in their favor in this one and somehow they’re only -125 favorites. They’re at home, have the rest advantage, and are just the better team overall both this season and recently.
This is actually the first back-to-back set for the Oilers this season, which is a bit odd given the fact that they’re 31 games in. That makes it an even more advantageous situation for the Rangers. The Oilers haven’t felt the effects of playing on two straight nights yet, and their top-heavy lineup could get exposed by Jack Adams Award candidate Peter Laviolette.
Another huge difference-maker in this one is the battle between the pipes. The Oilers’ problems in net have persisted this season with Jack Campbell sent down to the AHL and Stuart Skinner struggling. Skinner (11-9-1, 3.04 GAA, .884 SV%) is confirmed to start tonight.
On the other hand, even with the Rangers likely starting backup Jonathan Quick, the veteran netminder has been fantastic this season. He is 9-0-1 with a 2.09 GAA and a .926 SV%, which has been big for a Rangers team that’s seen Igor Shesterkin struggle at times this year.
Everything seems to point to the Rangers in this one. Don’t overthink it.
My best bet: Rangers moneyline (-125 at SIA)
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Oilers vs Rangers same-game parlay
Rangers moneyline
Over 6.5
Mika Zibanejad anytime goal
The Rangers are our best bet for tonight, and they’re anchoring our Blueshirt-based same-game parlay on Friday night.
Along with New York to win the game, we’re taking the Over 6.5. The Rangers have played a few high-scoring games recently. They’re a team that’s capable of putting up a five-spot, as they showed last time out in Toronto. They’re especially capable against a team like the Oilers with Skinner in net. He’s allowed four or more goals in eight of his 22 appearances this season, and Edmonton will be fatigued in front of him after playing last night.
Of course, the Oilers are also good to score a few goals of their own with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl leading a top-heavy offense.
To close out the parlay, we’re taking the red-hot Mika Zibanejad to score a goal. Zibanejad scored two goals on Tuesday and now has at least one goal in four of his last five games. He’s picked it up over the last month with nine goals in 13 games after starting the season with just two goals in his first 17 contests.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Oilers vs Rangers moneyline and Over/Under analysis
The Rangers are still slight home favorites at -125 at most books as of Friday afternoon, but money has come in on the Oilers all day long. Edmonton has gone from around +125 to +105 since the betting opened.
The total is set at 6.5 with the Over 6.5 at -125 and the Under 6.5 at +105. The juice on the Over has risen from a consensus opening line of -115.
Oilers vs Rangers betting trend to know
The Rangers have hit the moneyline in 54 of their last 85 games (+9.95 Units / 7% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Oilers vs. Rangers.
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Oilers vs Rangers game info
| Location: | Madison Square Garden, New York, NY |
| Date: | Friday, December 22, 2023 |
| Puck drop: | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | HULU |
Oilers vs Rangers latest injuries
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