In a highly anticipated National Hockey League contest on Thursday, the Pittsburgh Penguins travel west to face the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place in Alberta. Both clubs are in second place in their respective divisions going into this game and this will be a great litmus test for both sides as they look to prove that they are a serious Stanley Cup title contender. Here, I’ve broken down this matchup in the NHL and you can find my Penguins vs Oilers prediction right here.
Our Penguins vs Oilers Pick
| Pick: | |
| Confidence: | 5/5 |
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Pittsburgh Penguins @ Edmonton Oilers
- Date & Time: Thursday, January 22, 2026, 9:00 PM ET
- Venue: Rogers Place, Edmonton, Alberta
- Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
Recent form
The Penguins come into this game with three wins in their last four games. Pittsburgh has lit the lamp 19 times in their last four outings, including high-scoring wins over Seattle and Philadelphia that highlighted the team’s scoring ability. However, they are on the second leg of a back-to-back here and they will try to figure out how to overcome the rest disadvantage to win this game. Edmonton will attempt to rebound following a 2-1 loss to New Jersey, which snapped a two-game winning streak for the Oilers.
Goaltending
Pittsburgh’s net has featured a rotation of options of late, though Stuart Skinner has been the primary option for them. We should see Arturs Silovs in net in this game, though, thanks to the back-to-back. The Oilers project to rely on Tristan Jarry in net, who has delivered solid numbers since his midseason acquisition and he will try to get a win over his former team in this matchup.
Key skaters
Sidney Crosby remains the leader of Pittsburgh’s offense, leading the team in points and continuing to produce at a high level despite some lineup changes. Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell provide secondary firepower, giving the Penguins multiple scoring avenues.
For Edmonton, Connor McDavid continues to dominate the scoring race with an elite points pace that separates him from nearly every other forward in the league. Even with Leon Draisaitl absent due to personal reasons in recent games, Edmonton’s offense has remained explosive, thanks to contributions from McDavid and supporting forwards like Zach Hyman and Jack Roslovic.
Betting Trends & H2H
- The Oilers defeated the Penguins 6-4 in Pittsburgh in their first meeting of the season.
- The Penguins are 31-18 on the puckline going into this game.
- Edmonton is just 21-29 on the puckline for the season.
Penguins vs Oilers Model Projection
Final Thoughts
