Cordell's prediction: Evan Bouchard has been letting it rip this season, and that will continue against a Kraken team that bleeds shots to opposing defensemen.
NHL
Evan Bouchard has piled up the shots in the early going, leading all defensemen in shots on target.
My Oilers vs. Kraken predictions and NHL picks see Bouchard continuing to fire away in an advantageous matchup against a team that bleeds shots to his position.
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Oilers vs Kraken Best bet: Evan Bouchard Over 2.5 shots (-110)
Evan Bouchard hasn’t had the start anyone expected in terms of production, but it’s not for a lack of opportunity.
He’s pacing the Edmonton Oilers in shot attempts per game and has already piled up 27 shots on target, which is more than every other defenseman in the NHL. He’s consistently generating shots in high volume.
There’s no reason to expect any different against the Seattle Kraken. They rank 24th in 5-on-5 shot suppression and are giving up a ton of volume to defensemen across all situations.
The Kraken have allowed shots to blueliners at the third-highest rate. Only the Blackhawks and Sabres have conceded more volume on a per-game basis.
Almost every offensive defenseman the Kraken have faced has gone Over the number. Josh Morrissey recorded four shots on goal, Jakob Chychrun recorded four shots, John Carlson generated three shots, Morgan Rielly had five shots, Shea Theodore had four shots, and on it goes.
Whether it’s a schematic flaw or new head coach Lane Lambert is simply happy to concede outside shots to defensemen, it’s no coincidence that all of these players are soaring Over their shot totals.
Bouchard scored 12+ goals in three of the past four seasons. His account remains at zero this year despite high shot totals. He’s far too talented to continue coming up empty, and this is a great matchup to get on track.
Leon Draisaitl picked up a helper in 59% of his games last season. His hit rate sits at just 25% thus far. He’s going to ramp up sooner than later, and who better to do it against than a Kraken team he’s compiled 14 assists over the last nine games against?
Evan Bouchard has registered 3+ shots in six of eight games this season. Find more NHL betting trends for Oilers vs. Kraken.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Todd Cordell is a data-driven betting analyst. He uses numbers to help identify value across a wide variety of sports, with NHL being his specialty. Shot props, in particular, have proven to be a very fruitful market. Todd has served as a betting analyst in the public sphere for many years, most recently with theScore covering the NHL and MLB.
When not writing about sports betting, Todd stays busy analyzing the New Jersey Devils with a fine-tooth comb for InfernalAccess, his Devils-centric blog. Todd attended Sheridan College and graduated in 2014 with a diploma in print journalism.
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