Edmonton Oilers vs Vegas Golden Knights Game 4 Preview

Our game four Oilers vs Knights preview starts with a look at early betting patterns on a series that has been hard to read from game to game. We gave out the Golden Knights to win the series, but this is a clash that has yet to form an identity with each team in the process of trying to impose their will on the other. We take a look at both clubs from a betting perspective while offering up our advice on how to attack betting on game four.

Golden Knights Still Not Getting Respect

The betting public is blinded by the top line of the Edmonton Oilers. The one where Leon Draisitl and Connor McDavid reside. If you’ve been following our recaps and previews on this series, it’s been said many times that the team with depth will ultimately hoist the Stanley Cup.

Past NHL odds and scores are irrelevant when it comes to this time of year, so no matter how many times the Oilers beat the Knights in the NHL regular season, the playoffs are a different animal. Coaching plays a major role in a team’s success, and so far Bruce Cassidy has out-maneuvered Jay Woodcroft.

This is the second time in the postseason that the Knights were coming off a loss (Game Two vs Winnipeg) and managed to pull off an impressive win to change the public betting perception, at least for a day. Early betting patterns indicate that bettors will once again have their money behind Edmonton who opened as a -180 home favorite.

We don’t have figures on the percentage of money bet yet, but we do know that 66% of the overall tickets are on Edmonton with some putting out an early number around -185. The question remains, what is the status of goaltender Laurent Brossoit who left mid-way through the first period with an injury to his left leg?

Veteran Adin Hill replaced Brossoit and was brilliant over the last 47:48, making 24 saves while shutting out one of the top offensive NHL teams. The Golden Knights are one of the most difficult in the league when it comes to injury updates, but from the look of it, we would be should if Hill didn’t start game four. We continue our Oilers vs Knights game four preview with a look at the Oilers.

Oilers Can’t Get Top Line Loose

If you’re Jay Woodcroft you know for certain that Draisitl and McDavid can’t combine for six shots and a -4. As we wrote in our game three preview, if the Knights are able to make the neutral zone a jungle to get through, speed will not be a factor.

We Edmonton looks down the bench for offensive help, the Oilers’ depth just isn’t there. Vegas held the home team to just 28 total shots and just two power-play chances. Edmonton thought they play a physical brand of hockey because they thought Vegas was mentally beaten. What they didn’t count on was the Knights’ discipline. Vegas played a smarter game, not afraid to block shots in their own end while making it difficult for the Oilers stars to find open ice.

VGK have started five goaltenders this season with Hill getting 25 starts (16-7-1, 2.45 GAA, .915 save percentage). Now the Oilers must find a way to beat a goaltender who hasn’t allowed a goal in his last 102 minutes played.

If Edmonton fails to go deep into this season’s playoffs you have to wonder if GM Ken Holland will look to make major changes in the offseason in an effort to battle their obvious lack of scoring from the bottom six. We conclude our game four Oilers vs Knights preview with our official game four selection.

Oilers, With Backs Against the Wall Tie Series Up

We think the injury to Brossoit is significant until word comes out otherwise. The upper hand of this Pacific Division clash is in favor of Vegas, but Edmonton is not going to go away on home ice. We feel the Oilers will win game four knowing that another loss means they’ll likely lose this series with two games left in the madhouse known as T-Mobile Arena.

No matter how good the Knights feel about themselves right now, the Oilers still have won 35 of their last 52 overall and are 43-17 the game after allowing five goals or more. Our NHL Game Four pick today is the Edmonton Oilers -185. That concludes our Oilers vs Knights preview, we wish all your wagers to be winners as we move through the postseason.

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