The 2021 NHL Playoffs betting action continues Friday night with four games on the schedule including the North Division first-round showdown at Rogers Place in Edmonton, so here’s the best Winnipeg Jets vs. Edmonton Oilers betting pick for the second contest of the best-of-seven series. 

The Jets upset the odds in the opener last Wednesday, defeating the Oilers as +145 road dogs, 4-1. Winnipeg is a +141 underdog for Friday’s clash, while the Oilers are listed as -156 moneyline favorites on BetMGM Sportsbook.   

Winnipeg took the first blood thanks to Connor Hellebuyck’s terrific performance 

The Winnipeg Jets played some old-school physical hockey to take the lead in this series. They recorded a whopping 68 hits, while Connor Hellebuyck posted 32 saves on his birthday. The Jets overcame a 1-0 2^nd-period deficit, scoring three times in the final period, as four different players found the net for Winnipeg on the night. 

Hellebuyck is a huge force between the pipes. He was 24-17-3 in the regular season, posting a 2.58 GAA and a .916 save percentage. The 28-year-old goalie is 4-1 over his last five appearances including a couple of shutouts against Calgary and Vancouver. 

The Jets finished the regular season at the third spot of the North Division standings with a 30-23-3 record. They were scoring 3.04 goals per game (12^th in the NHL) on a 10.2 shooting percentage (11^th) while yielding 2.71 goals in a return (10^th). 

Edmonton needs more from its offense   

The Edmonton Oilers took 33 shots in Game 1 and netted just once, as winger Jesse Puljujarvi broke the deadlock midway through the second period. It was their second straight defeat, as the Oilers lost just three of their last 11 games of the regular season including a 4-1 loss to Vancouver in the finale. 

Mike Smith guarded the cage on Wednesday and yielded a couple of goals on 20 shots before the Oilers allowed a pair of more on an empty net. The 39-year-old veteran had an excellent regular season, posting a 21-6-2 record with a 2.31 GAA and a .923 save percentage. 

The Oilers had the seventh-highest scoring in the league in the regular season, scoring 3.27 goals per game on the fifth-best shooting percentage of .109. Center Connor McDavid led the league with 105 points (33 goals and 72 assists), while center Leon Draisaitl was right behind him with 84 points (31 goals and 53 assists). The Oilers were yielding 2.75 goals per contest (tied-11^th in the NHL). 

Trends:

Winnipeg:

• 4-9 in the last 13 games overall  
• 1-6 in the last seven games against Edmonton   

Edmonton:

• 6-3 in the last nine games overall 
• 10-5 in the last 15 games at home  

NHL Picks

It looked like the Oilers have the Jets’ number, but Winnipeg managed to snap a six-game skid and win the first game of this series. The Oilers have to respond in Game 2, and I’m backing the hosts to tie the series on the back of their prolific offense. 

Connor Hellebuyck is one of the best goalies in the league, no doubt, but Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have to step up and show why they led the NHL in points this past regular season. 

Pick: Take Edmonton Oilers at -156

The Total:

Although ten of the last 18 encounters between the Jets and Oilers went in the over, the under is 5-1-1 in their previous seven meetings. I will go with the over, relying on the Oilers’ offense to bounce back from a poor performance in the opener, but the hosts to win remains my top pick. 

Five of the Oilers’ last seven regular-season games produced six or more goals in total. Edmonton owns the best power-play percentage in the league, and with the empty-net goals lurking down the stretch, I think we’ll see at least six in total. 

Pick: Go over 5.5 goals at -115         

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