Mammoth vs Oilers Prediction and Pick - ExpertPicks

The Utah Mammoth visit the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place at 9 p.m. ET. Edmonton have won five straight and lead the NHL with 4.83 goals a game, while Utah arrive on a two-game winning streak with 10 points from seven games.

I'm backing the Oilers because their top line is playing at a level nobody has matched yet. Devon Levi is also projected to start after stopping 39 of 40 shots in Los Angeles, and Utah's goaltending is shakier after Karel Vejmelka let in four goals on 26 shots against Toronto.

McDavid at 2+ points is the bet I like most in this game. He has 17 points in six games, he's had a point in every one of them, and he's had multi-point nights in four of his last five.

Podkolzin is my long shot, and the price is too big for someone playing on McDavid's wing. He has seven goals in six games and has scored in five of them, including twice on Tuesday.

For more player bets, check out our Best NHL Props for tonight's hockey slate.

Special teams are driving Utah's start. Their power play is converting at 34.5%, among the best in the league, and it's the main reason they've scored 3.86 goals a game.

Tuesday's 5-4 win over Toronto showed what Utah do well and where they're vulnerable. They led 5-2 after two periods, helped by Mikhail Sergachev's short-handed goal and a goal and an assist from Dylan Guenther. Then they gave up two in the third and spent the last nine minutes hanging on. In Buffalo on Saturday they fell behind early, then scored four straight, with Nick Schmaltz and John Marino both scoring on the power play.

Utah are without Michael Carcone and Maveric Lamoureux, who are both listed out in CBS Sports' game preview with upper-body and shoulder injuries.

Edmonton's offence is the best in the league, but their penalty kill is a weak spot. They're killing just 73.7% of penalties, and that's the one area where Utah can hurt them tonight.

Tuesday's 4-1 win in Los Angeles was won early. Leon Draisaitl, Podkolzin and McDavid all scored inside the first 16 minutes, and McDavid finished with a goal and three assists. Edmonton were then outshot 40-17, and Levi held the lead. In San Jose on Saturday it was a quieter 3-1 win, with Podkolzin and Alex Formenton scoring early in the third to pull away.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Mattias Janmark, Matt Savoie and Frederik Andersen remain out, per the Oilers' game preview on NHL.com, and Zach Hyman is day-to-day.