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The Los Angeles Kings will look to take a commanding 3-0 lead as they head north of the border to face the Edmonton Oilers for Game 3 of the First Round on Friday at Rogers Place. The urgency is rising as we continue our Stanley Cup Playoffs odds series with a Kings-Oilers Game 3 prediction and pick.
The Kings defeated the Oilers 6-2 in Game 2, dominating this game and now taking a 2-0 lead in their Best-of-7 series. Overall, they repeated what they did in Game 1, minus the meltdown.
Here are the Kings-Oilers Game 3 NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Stanley Cup Playoffs Odds: Kings-Oilers Game 3 Odds
Los Angeles Kings: +1.5 (-220)
Moneyline: +114
Edmonton Oilers: -1.5 (+176)
Moneyline: -137
Over: 5.5 (-138)
Under: 5.5 (+112)
How To Watch Kings vs. Oilers Stanley Cup Playoffs
Time: 10 PM ET/7 PM PT
TV: TNT, truTV, and MAX
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Kings Will Cover the Spread/Win
After the Kings won Game 1 despite blowing a three-goal lead, they handled their business much more smoothly this time around. Once again, the Kings got on the board first, leveling the game early. The Kings beat Stuart Skinner in every way and forced the Oilers to pull him.
Brandt Clarke got the scoring going early. Later, Quinton Byfield added another goal, and Andrei Kuzmenko tallied a power-play goal. After allowing the Oilers to score two goals to cut the deficit, the Kings did not back down this time around. Instead, they capitalized off goals from Viktor Arvidsson, Adrian Kempe, and Anze Kopitar.
The offense fired 31 shots at the net. Additionally, they won 52 percent of the faceoffs. The power play was also explosive, converting 3 of 5 chances on the extra-man attack. Kopitar finished with one goal and three assists. Likewise, Kempe had two goals and two assists. Kuzmenko finished with a goal and an assist. Additionally, Warren Foegele had two helpers to help the cause.
Darcy Kuemper was effective, making 24 saves while allowing two goals. Furthermore, his defense was great, killing off all three penalties. They also leveled 24 hits and blocked 10 shots.
The Kings will cover the spread if they can once again take the lead early and force the Oilers on their heels. Then, they need to contain Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl again.
Why the Oilers Will Cover the Spread/Win
Evander Kane returned to the lineup for the first time this season. Unfortunately, it was not enough for the Oilers, as they struggled in every aspect. Their possession metrics were awful, often dumping and chasing the puck to no avail. Moreover, they could not get any good scoring chances, and fell behind the eight ball again. Despite firing 26 shots at the net, it was not nearly enough to swing the game in their favor.
McDavid was quiet in Game 2, not being able to get loose or generate any chances. Now, the pressure is on him to carry the Oilers in Game 3 and get them back on track. Draisaitl finished with a goal in the second period, similarly to how Game 1 went. However, it was far too late. The offense was stagnant. Notably, Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins were also nonexistent in this game. The Oilers also struck out on all three power-play chances.
Skinner was awful again, reinforcing the criticism of the team's decision not to trade for John Gibson or any other available goalie. While the defense leveled 34 hits and blocked 15 shots, it was not enough to prevent six pucks from going into the back of the net. They need to play more aggressively while also being smart and avoiding penalties, seeing as they went just 2 for 5 on the penalty kill.
The Oilers will cover the spread if they can get the early lead, with McDavid and Draisaitl leading the way. Then, they need to avoid taking pointless penalties.
Final Kings-Oilers Game 3 Prediction & Pick
Teams that have trailed 2-0 have struggled recently, as was the case in the First Round last season, when they went 1-3 in Game 3, with all of them losing their Best-of-7 series. The Kings have not been in this situation (with a 2-0 lead) since Game 3 of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final, when they defeated the New York Rangers in Game 3. Conversely, the Oilers were behind 2-0 in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, losing Game 3 to the Florida Panthers.
The Kings have looked much better than the Oilers. Regrettably, the Oilers are not defending well, and it appears that the loss of Mattias Ekholm is hurting them. I think the Oilers can win this game. But will they blow the Kings out? Right now, it's doubtful. Until the Oilers show me something more, I see the Kings covering the spread on the road.
Final Kings-Oilers Game 3 Prediction & Pick: Los Angeles Kings: +1.5 (-220)
