The Edmonton Oilers host the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night.
The pregame narrative: Two powerhouses square off in Western Canada tonight, as Washington hopes to extend its win streak to five games. I’m backing Leon Draisaitl to score a point on the power play while fading Tom Wilson and Connor McMichael.
Check out my Capitals vs. Oilers props for Jan. 21.
Capitals vs. Oilers prop picks
Go to full NHL betting markets.
Best bet: Draisaitl over 0.5 power-play points (+130)
Edmonton has been rolling in the new year, picking up seven wins in nine games. Draisaitl paces the Oilers with 13 points over that stretch.
After a sluggish start to the season, Edmonton’s offence has been one of the league’s best:
- 7th in goals/game: 3.28
- 2nd in shots/game: 31.9
- 7th in power-play percentage: 24.6%
The two-headed monster runs the typical Oilers power play in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. With McDavid’s suspension, Draisaitl will be the focal point of Edmonton’s No. 1 unit.
The German scored on the man-advantage on Saturday’s 3-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks.
The Capitals have a bit of a chippy side to them this season. They average over eight penalty minutes per game.
Key stat: Draisaitl has 59 points in 57 career games without McDavid.
Quick picks
McMichael under 1.5 shots (-118): Dissimilarly to previous Oilers seasons, Kris Knoblauch has turned the Oilers into one of the league’s best defensive teams to go with their high-powered offence.
- T6th goals allowed/game (2.74)
- 5th in shots allowed/game (26.4)
- 2nd in expected goals against per 60 (2.65), per Natural Stat Trick
Despite the Capitals’ offensive success this season, they only average 27.4 shots per game (T21st in NHL).
McMichael is having a breakout year, already setting a new career high in points (34) just over halfway through the campaign.
I imagine playing alongside one of the best goal-scorers of all time gives McMichael a more pass-first mindset, as opposed to feeling the urge to shoot for himself.
This bet has cashed in five straight games and in seven of the last eight.
Wilson under 0.5 points (-138): Washington’s spark plug might need to recharge tonight.
Wilson has just two points in his last six games despite leading all Caps forwards with 18:54 of ice time per game.
The Toronto native is having a solid bounce-back campaign from just 35 points and a -19 rating last year. But it’s not a great matchup for him to find the scoresheet.
I anticipate Wilson playing more of an enforcer role, as Edmonton should be playing with a little extra passion following the suspension of its captain.
Picks made at 3:50 p.m. ET on 01/21/2025.
