Colorado Avalanche vs. Edmonton Oilers: Picks, Predictions, Odds and Player Props

With attention turning to the 4 Nations Face-Off from February 12-20, the Edmonton Oilers and Colorado Avalanche will be looking to sign off with a win to put themselves in the best possible position going into the break.

The Oilers hold top spot in the Pacific Division, two points clear of the Vegas Golden Knights, although they remain seven points behind the Winnipeg Jets in the East and have some work to do if they want to secure top seeding for the playoffs.

Colorado holds the first Wild Card spot in the West and although there is a seven-point cushion, the teams in the chasing pack do have multiple games in hand.

Of course, the Avalanche could improve their position in the Central Division as they are only two points behind the Minnesota Wild in third and three behind the Dallas Stars in second, but they have already played more games than those teams above them and need to build a consistent winning run.

Colorado Avalanche vs. Edmonton Oilers betting picks and predictions

Edmonton Oilers -1.5 (+130)

The Colorado Avalanche have arguably weakened themselves by trading away Mikko Rantanen in a shock blockbuster move last month ahead of the end of the Finn's current contract at the end of the season, adding a little more depth to their roster and future draft picks at the expense of superstar talent for the here and now.

Martin Necas is perhaps still adjusting to his new surroundings as he looks to fill the massive void left by the departure of Rantanen - who would comfortably lead the Avs goalscoring charts and sit second in points if he were still in Colorado.

The Avalanche have been erratic for the last month or so, with their 2-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday the first time they had won back-to-back games since a six-game winning streak ended on January 5th.

In the 17 games they have played since that run ended, they have largely alternated wins and losses. Following their wins over the St. Louis Blues and the Flyers last weekend, they were shut out in a 3-0 defeat in Vancouver before bouncing back with a 4-2 success in Calgary on Thursday night.

And now they face arguably their biggest test north of the border on their current road trip with a visit to Rogers Place to take on the +600 Stanley Cup favorites, the Edmonton Oilers.

Colorado has actually won three of its last four games but is now playing its second on back-to-back nights, while the Oilers have had a day's extra rest ahead of this potential playoff series preview.

These two teams have already played twice this season at Ball Arena in Denver. Edmonton has come out on top in both, winning December's clash 4-1 and January's game 4-3 after bouncing back from a 3-0 deficit.

Now armed with home-ice advantage, the Oilers can complete the hattrick with a win at Rogers Place - where they have an 18-9-2 record - and cover the spread.

The Oilers recent form may suggest they are not quite firing on all cylinders, but they have still gone 13-4-1 since the turn of the year and 9-3-1 over the last 13 games. They have a more settled and consistent lineup that includes the superstar duo of Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid.

The Avs were recently shut out and, without Rantanen, are not necessarily as fearsome a prospect as they once were. The hosts can capitalize with another win as they look to pull away from the chasing pack at the top of the Pacific.

Under 6.5 Total Goals (-105)

As previously mentioned, the Avs were shutout in Vancouver. It is worth pointing out that they have enjoyed two shutouts of their own in the last four games, none of which have seen more than six goals.

A lot of that success has come with a peak in form from goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, who was acquired from the San Jose Sharks in December.

The 28-year-old boasts a save percentage of .970 over his last four games including two shutouts. Blackwood is clearly in the sort of form that will make life difficult for any opponent, including the elite talents in the Edmonton ranks.

The Oilers themselves are not at their absolute offensive best right now and only three of their last nine games have gone over six goals. The total just looks a little too high, particularly as this could play out like a playoff battle.

Brett Kulak anytime goalscorer (+1400)

Brett Kulak is hardly a prolific pointscorer on the Edmonton blue line but he has matched his career best tally of six goals in a single season, and needs just two more points to post a new best in that category also.

The 31-year-old has six goals and 13 assists for 19 points so far this season but he is a tempting bet to score against the Avalanche as he has done in each of the previous games so far this season.

In fact, the former Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadiens defenseman is on a four-game point streak against the Avalanche, having provided an assist in each of the last two head-to-heads last season.

His limited offensive production suggests one shouldn't get too carried away. But, the fact he has scored a third of his season tally in two games against the Avs, as well as enjoying an average of nearly 20 minutes of ice-time, makes him tempting to make it three goals in three games against Colorado, particularly at big odds of +1400.

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Colorado Avalanche vs. Edmonton Oilers odds

Colorado Avalanche	+155 ML
Edmonton Oilers	-185 ML
Puck Line	EDM Oilers-1.5
Total	O/U 6.5

Colorado Avalanche vs. Edmonton Oilers player props

Anytime Goalscorer

Leon Draisaitl (EDM Oilers)	-110
Connor McDavid (EDM Oilers)	+100
Nathan MacKinnon (COL Avalanche)	+130
Zach Hyman (EDM Oilers)	+155
Martin Necas (COL Avalanche)	+200
Arrturi Lehkonen (COL Avalanche)	+220

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.