DraftKings previews Ducks–Oilers Game 2

DraftKings Network published its Game 2 betting preview for Anaheim at Edmonton on April 22, with the Oilers carrying a 1-0 series lead after a 4-3 win in the opener. (dknetwork.draftkings.com, espn.com) The DraftKings article was posted Wednesday, April 22, under Keagan Smith’s byline and slotted the matchup into the site’s NHL playoff picks coverage. DraftKings Network’s search index describes it as a prediction and top betting pick for Game 2 of the first-round series. (dknetwork.draftkings.com, dknetwork.draftkings.com) The betting market around Game 2 had Edmonton as a clear home favorite. SportsbookWire listed the Oilers at -198 and Anaheim at +164, while Sports Betting Dime showed the Ducks around +160 as road underdogs. (sportsbookwire.usatoday.com, sportsbettingdime.com) That pricing followed a Game 1 finish that swung late. Edmonton trailed 3-2 after Anaheim scored three times in the second period, then tied it on Jason Dickinson’s second goal before Kasperi Kapanen scored the winner with 1:54 left in the third. (espn.com) The series opened with Edmonton favored beyond a single night. DraftKings Network’s first-round odds post on April 17 listed the Oilers at -210 to win the series and the Ducks at +175, with the site pointing to the teams’ high-scoring regular-season meetings. (dknetwork.draftkings.com) Game 2 drew extra betting attention because a split would send the series to Anaheim at 1-1, while an Edmonton win would put the Ducks in a 2-0 hole before the venue changed. Sports Betting Dime framed Anaheim’s task exactly that way, saying the Ducks were trying to “return home with a split.” (sportsbettingdime.com) The matchup also sat inside a familiar Oilers profile for bettors: strong offense, shaky defense, and star-driven pricing. DraftKings Network’s February Ducks-Oilers preview said Edmonton entered that meeting with the league’s best power play at 31.4% and Connor McDavid leading the National Hockey League in points at the time. (dknetwork.draftkings.com) Anaheim’s case in the market came from how dangerous it looked in stretches of Game 1. ESPN’s box score credited Troy Terry with two goals and Leo Carlsson with a goal and an assist, and Sportsbook Review’s Game 2 preview called Carlsson’s 10-shot opener a sign that “the 2023 second overall pick has officially arrived.” (espn.com, sportsbookreview.com) By the opening minutes Wednesday, the game had already delivered the kind of back-and-forth that keeps bettors glued to live lines. National Hockey League GameCenter showed Leon Draisaitl scoring first for Edmonton before Cutter Gauthier answered on the power play for Anaheim, knotting Game 2 at 1-1 in the first period. (nhl.com)