Edmonton Oilers vs. Anaheim Ducks Odds, Analysis, NHL Betting Pick

The two best teams in the Pacific Division will square off in Game 1 of the NHL playoff series second round Wednesday in California, as the Anaheim Ducks are listed as small home chalk versus the Edmonton Oilers.

The Ducks won the division over the Oilers on the last day of the regular season; they would have lost a tiebreaker with Edmonton if they had the same number of points.

Betting line: The Ducks opened as -140 favorites (wager $140 to win $100); the total is at five goals, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)

NHL betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 3.6-1.8, Ducks (NHL picks on every game)

Why the Oilers can pay on the NHL lines

The Oilers won three of the five regular-season meetings with Anaheim, taking three of the last four matchups by a combined score of 13-8. The one loss during that stretch saw the Ducks win 4-3 as +105 home underdogs, showing you just how much respect oddsmakers were giving Edmonton back in late March.

While the Oilers are coming off a longer first-round series, disposing of the defending Western Conference champion San Jose Sharks in six games, they knocked out a better team than their opponent.

Why the Ducks can pay on the NHL lines

Anaheim is the hottest team in the league right now, riding an eight-game winning streak dating back to the regular season following a four-game sweep of the Calgary Flames in the first round of the playoffs.

The Ducks won three of the games versus Calgary by just one goal but rallied back from a 4-1 deficit in Game 3 to win 5-4 in overtime on the road before finishing off the Flames with a 3-1 victory in Game 4.

Smart betting pick

While the Ducks did not dominate Calgary on the scoreboard in the first round, they manhandled them physically and could do the same thing to Edmonton here. Anaheim will try to set the tone right away in the series opener at home and has been off since last Wednesday. That extra rest should help the Ducks while the Oilers did not clinch their series until Saturday at San Jose.

Look for Anaheim to make a statement with a strong win in Game 1 on the Vegas lines, holding Edmonton's offense in check in a low-scoring affair.

NHL betting trends

Edmonton is 6-17 SU in its last 23 games against Anaheim.

Anaheim is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games at home against Edmonton.

Anaheim is 5-0 SU in its last five games at home.

All NHL lines and betting trends courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, OddsShark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line-movement updates and the OddsShark YouTube page for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.