This is an 8* play on the Pittsburgh Penguins.

REASONING: The Oilers are 9-3-1 to open the year, led by Connor McDavid. The Penguins are 9-3-1 and 5-0-1 at home, led by Sidney Crosby. The Oilers are 5-1-1 on the road and are coming off a 2-1 win in Detroit. Pittsburgh returns home after a successful 3-0-1 road trip. These teams are stacked top-to-bottom with skilled players on both ends of the ice and each has been backed by superb goaltending. Clearly, on paper they're very evenly matched. This is one of the most anticipated games of the early season, as it pits Crosby against McDavid, who many feel could be the league's "face" in the next few years. We simply can't see the Pens "looking past" Edmonton today, or not giving a 100% effort. Conversely, we think the pressure is finally going to get to the younger Oilers and note, Edmonton has in fact struggled in this spot already this year, going just 4-5 (-1.4 units) in all non-conference contests. And note that Pittsburgh has dominated in this spot, going 3-1 (+1.6 units) against teams with winning records. Play on PITTSBURGH.

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