Sports

NHL Odds, Pick: Golden Knights vs Oilers Game 6 Preview and Prediction (May 14)

Published

1 year ago

May 14, 2023

Golden Knights vs. Oilers Game 6 Odds

Golden Knights Odds	+160
Oilers Odds	-190
Over/Under	6.5 (-135 / +115)
Time	10 p.m. ET
TV	ESPN
Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here.

It’s do-or-die time for the Edmonton Oilers as they host Game 6 of their second-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Oilers have never led in this series, but did erase 1-0 and 2-1 deficits before dropping a 4-3 decision in Vegas on Friday night.

There is precedent for the Oilers to come back. Just last year, they were down 3-2 in their first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings before winning the final two games to advance.

Can Edmonton to do it again? Here’s a betting preview and pick for Golden Knights vs. Oilers Game 6.

Vegas Golden Knights

The Golden Knights’ Game 5 win didn’t come easily. Vegas was without key shutdown defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, who was suspended one game for a Game 4 slash on Leon Draisaitl. After building a 4-2 lead in the second period, the Golden Knights hung on to earn the win, despite having to kill a five-minute boarding major to Keegan Kolesar against the NHL’s most dominant power play.

Vegas bent, but didn’t break. The Golden Knights limited the damage to one Connor McDavid goal during the five-minute penalty kill, then hung on to preserve the win.

Adin Hill had another strong outing in the Vegas net as he made 32 saves. After taking over for the injured Laurent Brossoit, Hill is 2-1 with a .927 save percentage, a 2.25 goals-against average and 0.8 goals saved above expected. The Golden Knights have also been better at controlling play at 5-on-5, logging 52.34% of expected goals through five games. However, that stat might not be especially meaningful in this series. The first four games were all one-sided and Edmonton’s power play is so dominant that it can override an opponent’s even-strength advantage.

In his first-ever playoffs, Jack Eichel is leading the way for Vegas with 13 points and Pietrangelo will be back in the lineup for Game 6.

Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers will also be getting a key defenseman back from a one-game suspension on Sunday. Darnell Nurse received the mandatory punishment after he was declared to be the instigator in a Game 4 fight with Nicolas Hague. An imposing physical presence, Nurse’s No. 1 job is to make life miserable for Edmonton’s opponents.

Presumably, Stuart Skinner will also return to his starting role for the Oilers. He was pulled after giving up four goals on 22 shots in 35:34 on Friday — the second time in the past three games (and third overall in the playoffs) that he’s gotten the hook.

Skinner has come back strong each time he’s been replaced. But the rookie, who was expected to play about 30 games this year, is now up to 61 appearances, including both the regular season and playoffs. He may be starting to wear down amidst such a heavy workload, but he successfully navigated a similar situation in his junior days. In the 2016-17 season, Skinner played 60 regular-season games and added 20 more in the playoffs. He followed that up with 82 total games on his way to a WHL championship with the Swift Current Broncos in 2017-18.

Golden Knights vs. Oilers Pick

The total scoring in this series is 17-17, but Game 5 is the first contest that was close.

Emotions are high on both sides, and Edmonton has been doing a good job of getting opportunities to execute its elite power play. The Oilers 9-for-22 through the first five games (40.9%), meaning more than half their goals have come with the man advantage.

To compare, Vegas is 4-for-22 (18.2%), but has outscored Edmonton 12-7 at 5-on-5.

So far in the second round, every team that has faced elimination has been able to push back and stay alive, even if just for a game. That desperation is what makes clinching games so difficult to win.

If the pattern holds, Edmonton will come out on top in Game 6 at home. But a moneyline of -184 doesn’t offer much value for bettors. If you think Edmonton is going to run away with this, the puck line will deliver a +125 payout for a win by two or more goals.

If you think it’s going to be close, you can get in on the Vegas puckline of +1.5 at a palatable -150 and if you think it’s going to be really close, grab a regulation tie at a tasty +390, then cross your fingers for the first overtime game of the series.

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Sports

Cavaliers and free agent forward Isaac Okoro agree to 3-year, $38 million deal, AP source says

Published

14 hours ago

September 14, 2024

Anne Joseph

CLEVELAND (AP) — Restricted free agent forward Isaac Okoro has agreed to re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Saturday.

Okoro’s new deal is worth $38 million, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract has not been signed or announced by the team.

ESPN.com first reported the agreement, citing Okoro’s representation.

The fifth overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, Okoro is Cleveland’s best perimeter defender, often drawing the assignment of guarding the opponent’s top scorer. Okoro also has worked to improve his offensive game.

The 23-year-old averaged 9.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 69 games — 42 starts — last season for the Cavs, who beat Orlando in the opening round of the playoffs before losing to eventual champion Boston.

Okoro shot a career-best 39% on 3-pointers, forcing teams to come out and guard him.

His agreement caps an extraordinarily busy summer for the Cavs that began with coach J.B. Bickerstaff being fired and replaced by Kenny Atkinson. All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell signed a three-year, $150 million extension in July, ending months of speculation that he wanted out of Cleveland.

Also, power forward Evan Mobley signed a five-year, $224 deal and center Jarrett Allen signed a three-year, $91 million extension.

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Sports

Canada’s Marina Stakusic falls in Guadalajara Open quarterfinals

Published

1 day ago

September 13, 2024

Anne Joseph

GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic fell 6-4, 6-3 to Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open tennis tournament on Friday.

The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., won 61 per cent of her first-serve points and broke on just one of her six opportunities.

Stakusic had upset top-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) on Thursday night to advance.

In the opening round, Stakusic defeated Slovakia’s Anna Karolína Schmiedlová 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday.

The fifth-seeded Frech won 62 per cent of her first-serve points and converted on three of her nine break point opportunities.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

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Sports

Kirk’s walk-off single in 11th inning lifts Blue Jays past Cardinals 4-3

Published

1 day ago

September 13, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – Alejandro Kirk’s long single with the bases loaded provided the Toronto Blue Jays with a walk-off 4-3 win in the 11th inning of their series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.

With the Cardinals outfield in, Kirk drove a shot off the base of the left-field wall to give the Blue Jays (70-78) their fourth win in 11 outings and halt the Cardinals’ (74-73) two-game win streak before 30,380 at Rogers Centre.

Kirk enjoyed a two-hit, two-RBI outing.

Erik Swanson (2-2) pitched a perfect 11th inning for the win, while Cardinals reliever Ryan Fernandez (1-5) took the loss.

Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman enjoyed a seven-inning, 104-pitch outing. He surrendered his two runs on nine hits and two walks and fanned only two Cardinals.

He gave way to reliever Genesis Cabrera, who gave up a one-out homer to Thomas Saggese, his first in 2024, that tied the game in the eighth.

The Cardinals started swiftly with four straight singles to open the game. But they exited the first inning with only two runs on an RBI single to centre from Nolan Arendao and a fielder’s choice from Saggese.

Gausman required 28 pitches to escape the first inning but settled down to allow his teammates to snatch the lead in the fourth.

He also deftly pitched out of threats from the visitors in the fifth, sixth and seventh thanks to some solid defence, including Will Wagner’s diving stop, which led to a double play to end the fifth inning.

George Springer led off with a walk and stole second base. He advanced to third on Nathan Lukes’s single and scored when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. knocked in his 95th run with a double off the left-field wall.

Lukes scored on a sacrifice fly to left field from Spencer Horwitz. Guerrero touched home on Kirk’s two-out single to right.

In the ninth, Guerrero made a critical diving catch on an Arenado grounder to throw out the Cardinals’ infielder, with reliever Tommy Nance covering first. The defensive gem ended the inning with a runner on second base.

St. Louis starter Erick Fedde faced the minimum night batters in the first three innings thanks to a pair of double plays. He lasted five innings, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.

ON DECK

Toronto ace Jose Berrios (15-9) will start the second of the three-game series on Saturday. He has a six-game win streak.

The Cardinals will counter with righty Kyle Gibson (8-6).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

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