The Edmonton Oilers will try to build momentum on Friday night when they host the Winnipeg Jets at Rogers Place.
The Oilers are coming off an impressive 5-2 thumping of the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday, while the Jets are flagging and will try to end a four-game losing streak, punctuated most recently by an OT loss to the Los Angeles Kings.
Bettors will want to monitor all of the player movement leading up to the 3 p.m. ET trade deadline, as both of these likely playoff-bound teams are expected to continue adding to their respective rosters. However, it would be very unlikely that any players added to either roster prior to the deadline would be available for Friday night’s game (unless the Jets and Oilers traded with each other).
The Oilers are -160 moneyline favourites at home, and the total is set at 6.5 goals on Friday night at bet365.
Jets vs. Oilers odds
| Oilers Moneyline Odds | -160 |
| Jets Moneyline Odds | +140 |
| Over/Under | 6.5 goals (over -125, under +105) |
| Time/Date | Friday, March. 3, 9:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | Broadcast: Sportsnet West, TSN3 (Edmonton Local) Stream: Sportsnet Now Premium (How to watch the NHL in Canada?) |
All odds courtesy of 
Previous matchups
The Oilers fell to the Jets 2-1 on New Year’s Eve at Rogers Place. Winnipeg’s Neil Pionk and Kyle Connor each had a goal and an assist in the contest and the tilt saw a 17-game point streak broken for Edmonton superstar Connor McDavid, who enters this contest with a blistering 10 goals over his last five games. This is the first game of a back-to-back set between the teams, with the finale of the three-game season series set to take place in Winnipeg on Saturday.
About the Oilers (33-21-8, 33-29 ATS, 40-18-4 o/u)
Edmonton snapped a two-game winless skid on Wednesday with a 5-2 victory over the Leafs. The major news heading into the game was the Oilers’ acquisition of defenceman Mattias Ekholm from the Nashville Predators. Edmonton paid a hefty price tag for the swedish defender, including former Leaf Tyson Barrie and its first-round pick in this summer’s draft. Ekholm wasted no time getting into the mix, as his debut with Edmonton included an assist, two shots, three hits, two blocks and a plus-2 rating in 20:50 of ice time.
The Oilers’ season and recent years have been marked by inconsistency, but having a superstar of McDavid’s calibre demands a higher level of success, and as such, general manager Ken Holland has opted to bolster the squad with not only the addition of Ekholm, but of forward Nick Bjugstad from the Arizona Coyotes as well. Bjugstad should make his debut tonight against the Jets as the Oilers’ gear up for the final playoff push.
Player to watch: Mattias Ekholm
Look for the new Oiler to stay hot as he aims to impress his new teammates. Ekholm averages 21:43 time on ice per game and gets an average of 1:30 on the power play. He’ll be primed to contribute with the man advantage playing with Edmonton’s top power play unit. The Oilers lead the league in power play percentage this season with a whopping 31.8% success rate.
About the Jets (35-24-2, 34-27 ATS, 17-40-4 o/u)
Winnipeg is currently reeling from a four-game losing streak but not all hope is lost for the Jets. They currently sit in the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, a somewhat comfortable five points clear of the Calgary Flames. With most teams below them in the standings taking on the role of sellers at the deadline, the Jets can expect less and less opposition to their playoff position as the season winds down.
The Jets boast a +22 goal differential and typically stellar play from netminder Connor Hellebuyck (2.52 GAA, .922 SV%) paints over a lot of their deficiencies. Winnipeg has not been overly active in the trade deadline, save the acquisition of Nino Niederreiter from the Predators. The current arms race in the NHL aims to pass the Jets by as there is an overwhelming sense that too much is missing from this squad to be a true contender. Be that as it may, the Jets’ current trajectory has them playoff bound and anything can happen in the playoffs.
Player to watch: Josh Morrissey
No one is particularly hot amidst a four-game losing streak but defenceman Josh Morrissey continued his breakout campaign on Tuesday in a losing cause. Morrissey tallied four points against the Kings (two goals, two assists) in 26 minutes of ice time.
Probable goaltenders
Edmonton: Stuart Skinner (15-13-4, 2.88 GAA, .912 SV%) – Probable.
Winnipeg: Connor Hellebuyck (25-17-2, 2.52 GAA, .922 SV%) – Probable.
Noteworthy absences
Oilers forward Evander Kane has sat out the last six games with an upper-body injury and continues to be listed as day-to-day. On the Jets’ end, the loss of young gun Cole Perfetti is still being felt. The 21-year-old had eight goals and 30 points in a top-six role when he was lost to injury. Perfetti has an outside shot to rejoin the Jets by the second round of the playoffs, should they advance that far.
Betting trends to watch
- The under is 9-4-1 in the past 14 meetings.
- The under is 6-0-1 in the last seven meetings in Edmonton.
- The under is 9-1-3 in Jets’ last 13 games playing on two days of rest.
- The Jets are 5-1 in their last six vs. Pacific foes.
- The Oilers are 9-2 in their last 11 Friday games.
Wagers to consider
- Josh Morrissey anytime goal: +350. Morrissey had a two-goal night on Tuesday and will aim to stay hot.
- Under 6.5 – Game Total: +105. The Jets lead the league in hitting the under @ 68.9% and the under is 6-0-1 in the Jets’ and Oilers’ past seven meetings in Edmonton.
