The second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs has arrived! Don’t look now, but the Edmonton Oilers will face off with the Vancouver Canucks in what should be an epic battle out on the ice. Join us for our NHL odds series where our Oilers-Canucks prediction and pick will be revealed.

Rolling past the Los Angeles Kings in five games, the Oilers enter Game 1 and this entire series has considerable favorites despite the Canucks holding home-ice advantage throughout these Western Conference semifinals. Throughout the season, Edmonton compiled a 49-27-6 record and were only five points behind the Canucks in the second-place position. After getting swept 4-0 versus their division rivals, there is no doubt that the Oilers will be more than motivated to get the job done.

Besting the Nashville Predators in six games during the first round, Vancouver is in the midst of a playoff run that is making Canucks fans excited to say the less. During the regular season, the Pacific Division-winning Canucks went a combined 50-23-9 and were a handful to contend with. Will it carry over to the second round of the playoffs, or have the Canucks finally met their match?

Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

Stanley Cup Playoffs Odds: Oilers-Canucks Game 1 Odds

Edmonton Oilers: -1.5 (+190)

Moneyline: -134

Vancouver Canucks: +1.5 (-235)

Moneyline: +112

Over: 6.5 (+102)

Under: 6.5 (-124)

How to Watch Oilers vs. Canucks Game 1

Time: 10:00 ET/7:00 PT

TV: ESPN

Stream: fuboTV

Why The Oilers Will Cover The Spread/Win

For obvious reasons, the biggest strength that this Oilers squad possesses is in the form of an offense that rarely fails to miss a beat. In their disposal of the LA Kings, the Oilers could barely do no wrong. By the series conclusion, Edmonton combine to score a total of 22 goals and looks to be in tip-top shape heading into their clash with the Canucks.

Indeed, a lot can be talked about the Oilers’ inability to put one in the win column versus the Canucks thus far this year, the Edmonton power-play attack should still be a handful for Vancouver. Against the Kings, it was the Oilers that scored a whopping nine times on the extra-man attack. While the Canucks may provide a stiffer challenge for the Oilers offensively, this is still an element of their game that will be a hefty advantage by the time this series gets underway. On the other side of things, Edmonton also were stout in the penalty kill en route to giving up zero goals to the Kings.

Above all else, goaltender Stuart Skinner will have to be on his A game against a potent Canucks offense. So far, Skinner is 4-1 with a .910 save percentage and has given up only four goals in his previous three postseason starts. After a rocky start against Los Angeles, it appears that Skinner is back on track.

Why The Canucks Will Cover The Spread/Win

Can the Canucks punch their ticket to the conference finals for the first time since 2011? While this series is expected to be competitive and long run, Vancouver should have an excellent chance to be on the right track with a Game 1 victory.

For starters, the one element of the game that Vancouver needs to take care of is in the form of figuring out its goaltending room. As it stands, starter Thatcher Demko is projected to be sidelined until at least Game 4 of this series. Not only is this a gigantic blow for Vancouver, but they also will have to rely on some unproven names starting with Arturs Silovs. Already with three starts under his belt, it was Silvos that compiled a 2-1 record while stopping .938 percent of shots on goal. Furthermore, the Canucks will also call upon Casey DeSmith for some action in patrolling the crease. If these two are no match for Edmonton’s offensive prowess, then they could find themselves in a load of trouble.

Ultimately, Vancouver will also be short-handed in regards to star power as it is going to be extremely difficult for them to keep up with guys like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaityl. Relying on timely scoring opportunities and limiting the damage defensively will be critical for Vancouver’s chances in this one.

Final Oilers-Canucks Prediction & Pick

With Vancouver’s goaltending situation being a major question mark, it is hard to imagine that the Oilers don’t steal Game 1 on the road. Yes, it is possible the Canucks make their adjustments, but it won’t be in time for this opening series contest.