Oilers Are Rolling While Flyers Can't Find Their Wings

Let's not overthink this one. The Edmonton Oilers are playing some excellent hockey right now, while the Philadelphia Flyers can't seem to win on the road—or much of anywhere lately. This is a matchup that heavily favors Edmonton, and the numbers make it difficult to argue against the home team.

The Oilers have won five of their last seven games and have allowed just 12 goals during that stretch. That's an impressive combination of offensive production and defensive improvement. Edmonton has the firepower to overwhelm opponents, but keeping the puck out of its own net has been just as important during this recent run.

The Oilers have also been among the NHL's most dangerous offensive teams this season. Only the Carolina Hurricanes have scored more goals, which tells you everything you need to know about the kind of pressure Edmonton can put on an opposing defense. When this team gets rolling offensively, it can be awfully difficult to keep up.

Philadelphia, meanwhile, has been a completely different story away from home. The Flyers are just 2-6-2 on the road and averaging a measly 1.9 goals per game. That's simply not going to cut it against an Edmonton team that has been finding the back of the net consistently while tightening things up defensively.

The biggest concern for Philadelphia is its inability to generate enough offense away from home. Even if the Flyers manage to keep this one close early, they'll need to find another gear offensively to stay competitive. That's a tall order against an Oilers team playing with this much confidence.

Sometimes the best bets are the ones that don't require a complicated explanation. Edmonton is the hotter team, has the superior offensive attack and is facing a Philadelphia squad that has struggled mightily on the road.

Take the Oilers. This is their game to lose.

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