Avalanche vs. Oilers Game 4 Odds
| Avalanche Odds | -135 |
| Oilers Odds | +110 |
| Over/Under | 7 (+110 / -135) |
| Time | 8 p.m. ET |
| TV | TNT |
| Odds via BetMGM. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
The Edmonton Oilers have their backs against the wall, down 3-0 to the Colorado Avalanche. To make matters worse, Edmonton will be without one of its leading scorers in Evander Kane.
The Colorado Avalanche will also be without one of their most reliable forwards, Nazem Kadri, so which team will be affected more?
Most importantly, can the Edmonton Oilers avoid the sweep?
Can Francouz Stay Hot for Colorado?
The Avalanche haven't lost on the road during the playoffs at 6-0, and one more win will get them to the Stanley Cup Final.
Kadri was averaging over a point per game in the playoffs with eight goals and six assists in 13 games. It will be very interesting to see who steps up in his absence, but one guy who has definitely stepped up for the Avs is backup goaltender Pavel Francouz.
Francouz is an incredible 5-0 in the playoffs with a .920 save percentage and 2.37 goals against average, as well as a strong +1.2 GSAx. I don't know if anyone expected him to play this well in the postseason, but the biggest question is if his strong play is sustainable.
The Avs know that they are just one win away from the Stanley Cup Final and the nerves might creep in a little bit knowing what is at stake. I could see this being a letdown game for Colorado.
Edmonton Must Find Offense Quickly
Something we are not used to seeing is the Oilers offense struggling to score, but that has been the case over the last two games of this series, during which Edmonton has only scored twice.
These offensive struggles shouldn't last very long. The Oilers have been averaging four goals per game in the postseason and their power play has been converting at a 26.7% rate.
The big question is if Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl can get going like they were in the first two rounds. These two have put up a couple of points in this series, but nowhere close to what we had seen from them before this round started. McDavid (30) and Draisaitl (28) are still leading the playoffs in scoring but at some point, the Oilers will need some production from their depth players behind that duo.
Two others who have played well through the playoffs but need to take their game to another level are Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Hyman has nine goals and five assists through 15 games and Nugent-Hopkins five goals and eight assists.
The Oilers have been able to rely on their offense all season, and they have needed to since they have gotten such inconsistent goaltending. Mike Smith did have his best game of the series in Game 3, and I am curious to see which version of the veteran we will see tonight. Right now, he has a .917 save percentage and a 3.18 goals against average.
In Game 3, Smith made 39 saves and had a .929 save percentage. The Oilers will hope he can carry that form into Game 4.
Oilers vs. Avalanche Pick
The Oilers have the best player in the world, who has also been the best player in the playoffs. I don't see McDavid getting swept, especially on home ice.
Smith has been a little bit shaky in the net, but he looks much more comfortable on home ice as well. I know Francouz has done his job for Colorado, but I think he is due for one poor game. He might feel that extra pressure tonight to get the series done.
Sometimes in hockey, you need to play with a little desperation. The Oilers will have all of that tonight. They have nothing to lose and should come out of the gate throwing everything they have at Colorado.
I think Edmonton finds a way to win a game in this series to avoid the sweep.
Pick: Oilers +105
