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Edmonton (15-12-6) at Pittsburgh (14-8-9)
- When: Dec 16 2025, 7:30 PM
- Where: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- TV: TNT
Edmonton vs Pittsburgh NHL Preview & Pick
Moneyline: Edmonton -142
Spread: Edmonton -1.5 (+173)
Total: 6.5
Pittsburgh Penguins Breakdown
Pittsburgh hockey right now is basically a master class in how to almost win games. The Penguins have become experts at building beautiful leads, admiring them for a while, then gently placing them in the trash by the third period. It is impressive in a tragic kind of way. Four blown third period leads in five games is not bad luck anymore. That is a full blown hobby.
Coach Dan Muse sounds like a man stuck in a time loop. Same speech. Same frustration. Same ending. Sidney Crosby has done his part, the supporting cast has chipped in, and yet the final horn keeps arriving with heartbreak attached. When you score five goals and still lose, the hockey gods are clearly messing with you.
Offensively, Pittsburgh is not the issue. They can score. They can move the puck. They can jump out early and look dominant. The problem is that the moment the clock hits the third period, everything tightens. Defensive coverage gets loose, clears get sloppy, and goaltending confidence looks shakier than a Jenga tower.
From a betting standpoint, this is a nightmare profile. The Penguins can look like the right side for forty minutes and the wrong side for the last twenty. That makes trusting them extremely uncomfortable, especially against a team that knows how to punish mistakes.
Edmonton Oilers Breakdown
Edmonton arrives calm, confident, and very aware of Pittsburgh’s recent adventures in self sabotage. The Oilers are doing what contenders do. They capitalize when opponents wobble. Connor McDavid keeps collecting points like it is his side hustle, and Leon Draisaitl is sitting on the edge of a career milestone like a shark circling dinner.
The biggest storyline is Tristan Jarry walking back into Pittsburgh wearing enemy colors. Hockey loves drama, and this matchup delivers it. Jarry already showed he is settled in just fine with Edmonton, and emotional games often favor the team that is not trying to prove something.
Edmonton is deeper, steadier, and far more comfortable protecting leads. That matters when you are listed as a road favorite. Their power play can flip games quickly, and their stars tend to show up when chaos breaks out.
Betting Outlook and Prediction
Edmonton sitting as a moneyline favorite at -142 feels justified. Pittsburgh has shown it cannot be trusted to close games, while Edmonton thrives in exactly those moments. The total at 6.5 also makes sense considering Pittsburgh’s recent habit of turning third periods into fireworks shows for the wrong reasons.
Expect goals. Expect momentum swings. Expect Pittsburgh to tease its fans again. Edmonton has too much structure and too much finishing ability to ignore here.
Score Prediction: Oilers 4, Penguins 3
Pick: Edmonton (-142)
Total: Over 6.5 (-110)
- NHL Odds source: Bovada Sportsbook
