Another inter-conference tilt will be played in the NHL on Monday, December 5, so make sure you don’t miss out on the best Capitals vs. Oilers betting pick and odds.

Washington is looking to avoid the third loss in a row when they visit Edmonton at Rogers Place. The Oilers are -147 moneyline favorites on BetOnline Sportsbook, while the total is set at 6.5 goals. These inter-conference rivals have already faced this year, and the Capitals won that game 5-4 in D.C.

Capitals are struggling on a road trip

The Washington Capitals (10-12-2-2, 13-13 ATS) are currently on a six-game road trip, on which they suffered three defeats in four games. The Caps did beat the Canucks to bounce back from a loss against the Devils but then lost the following two against the Kraken and Flames. Washington will play four of the next five games on the road, including this one against Edmonton on Monday.

The Capitals were pretty much alive after the first two periods against the Calgary Flames as they trailed by a goal, but the hosts then scored a couple of goals in less than a minute to make it 4-1. The Flames won 5-2 in the end; Conor Sheary and John Carlson scored for Washington. This season, Alexander Ovechkin leads the Capitals in points with 25 (G 13, A 12) and is the only skater with 20+ points. Dylan Strome has 19 (G 5, A 14), while Evgeny Kuznetsov contributes 17 points (G 3, A 14).

Darcy Kuemper (8-9-2) will take a place between the sticks for Washington against Edmonton on Monday. The 32-year-old is surrendering 2.56 goals per game this year with a .916 SV% and two shutouts.

C Nicklas Backstrom (hip), RW Tom Wilson (knee), RW Connor Brown (knee), D Dmitry Orlov (lower body), and LW Carl Hagelin (hip) are out indefinitely and will not face the Oilers on Monday.

Oilers won four of the last five

The Edmonton Oilers (14-11-0-0, 12-13 ATS) opened their four-game home stand with a 5-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens. It was Edmonton’s fourth victory in five games, which is their best run since late October when they recorded five consecutive wins. Although still have a negative goal difference (87-90), the Oilers climbed up to the 6th position in the Western Conference with 28 points.

Edmonton scored four goals in the second period in a 5-3 victory over the Canadiens and added one more in the final 20 minutes to secure a W. The hosts needed just 22 shots to score five goals, while on the other end, Stuart Skinner stopped 30 shots. As usual Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid dominated with four points apiece, while Tyson Barrie and Zach Hyman each chipped in two points. For the season, McDavid and Draisaitl are not only the best Edmonton players, but they are also the top 2 players in the entire NHL with 89 points combined (G 38, A 51).

Stuart Skinner will likely stay in the cage against Washington on Monday following a strong showing against Montreal. The 24-year-old is allowing 2.91 goals per contest this season with a 2.91 SV% and no shutouts.

G Mike Smith (undisclosed), LW Evander Kane (wrist), and RW Kailer Yamamoto (undisclosed) are out indefinitely. LW Warren Foegele (undisclosed) is questionable to play on Monday against the Capitals.

Trends:

Washington:

  • 5-12 in the last 17 overall
  • 5-16 in the last 21 road games
  • 1-6 in the last seven games playing on one day of rest

Edmonton:

  • 4-1 in the last five overall
  • 6-2 in the last eight in the fourth game of a 4-in-6 situation
  • 25-11 in the last 36 home games

Washington Capitals vs. Edmonton Oilers Pick  

The Oilers are in better form at the moment and they also have a better offense, which is why I am backing them to get another win on Monday. Edmonton’s offense is 8th in the NHL as it is scoring 3.48 goals per game, opposite to Washington’s 2.73. The Capitals scored more than three goals just once in the last seven games, and when you face such superstars and point machines as Draisaitl and McDavid, you must score at least four or five if you want to outscore them and win. The Caps should be aware of that considering they already scored five in a 5-4 H2H victory this year. Edmonton scored 4+ goals in four of the last five.

Pick: Take the Oilers to win (-147)

The Total

Edmonton is laying a lot of high-scoring games lately. Each of their previous five produced at least seven goals, which was the case in seven of their last eight. The good news for the visitors is the fact that Edmonton’s defense is not playing very well; they are allowing 3.60 goals per game, so the Capitals will surely contribute with at least two or three goals here. Over is 4-0-1 in the last five H2H meetings; Over is 6-1-1 in the Oilers’ previous eight home games, while Over is 6-0 in Edmonton’s last six when their opponent scores two goals or less in their previous game.

Pick: Go Over 6.5 goals (-110)