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The Edmonton Oilers will face the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday. It's Pacific Division rivalry at Crypto as we share our NHL odds series and make an Oilers-Kings prediction and pick.
The Oilers are 38-37 over the past 75 regular-season games against the Kings, including 7-3 in the past 10 regular-season games against them. Additionally, they are 3-2 in the past five games at Crypto. This will be the first time the Oilers and Kings meet since Edmonton eliminated Los Angeles in five games during the First Round last season. Significantly, there was plenty of scoring in the series as the teams combined for over 6.5 goals in four of five games.
Here are the Oilers-Kings NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Oilers-Kings Odds
Edmonton Oilers: -1.5 (+205)
Moneyline: -118
Los Angeles Kings: +1.5 (-260)
Moneyline: -102
Over: 5.5 (-134)
Under: 5.5 (+110)
How To Watch Oilers vs Kings
Time: 4 PM ET/1 PM PT
TV: ESPN+ and FDSW
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Oilers Could Cover the Spread/Win
Life in Edmonton is good right now, as the Oilers are near the top of the standings. Yet, there is still work to do, and the Oilers have hopes and concerns this season as they attempt to make a return to the Stanley Cup after falling one game short last season.
Leon Draisaitl has been great this season, with 24 goals and 28 assists, including five powerplay conversions. Additionally, he has been magical in the faceoff circle, including winning 342 draws and losing 266. Connor McDavid remains one of the greatest players in the NHL, scoring 15 goals and 34 assists, including five powerplay markers. Yet, he is still weak in the faceoff circle, winning just 157 draws and losing 184.
The Oilers have had issues getting scoring from the rest of the team. Defenseman Evan Bouchard has six goals and 19 assists but has not scored a marker on the powerplay. Meanwhile, Zach Hyman has netted 13 goals and six assists, including four powerplay snipes. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has tallied six goals and 12 assists, including two powerplay conversions. Yet, he has been solid in the faceoff circle, winning 95 draws and losing 76.
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The Oilers still rank 10th in goals and assists. However, they have struggled to convert on their shooting chances, ranking 23rd in shooting percentage. The Oilers are also 14th on the powerplay.
Stuart Skinner likely gets the start in the net and comes in with a record of 13-8-2 with a 2.85 goals-against average and save percentage of .895. He plays behind a defense that is eighth in goals against. Unfortunately, they have struggled to kill penalties, ranking 26th on the penalty kill.
The Oilers will cover the spread if they can get supplementary scoring from someone other than McDavid and Draisaitl. Then, they need to clamp down on defense and prevent the Kings from getting any shooting opportunities.
Why the Kings Could Cover the Spread/Win
Despite not being as dominating as other teams, the Kings are ninth in the power rankings, showcasing how strong they are. There is still work to do, and they could use a little more scoring.
Anze Kopitar leads the charge with 10 goals and 27 assists, including two snipes on the powerplay. Additionally, he has been good in the faceoff circle, winning 378 draws and losing 303. Adrian Kempe has been solid, with 16 goals and 16 assists, including two powerplay markers. Meanwhile, Alex Laferriere has tallied 13 goals and eight assists, including five powerplay snipes. Kevin Fiala has added 13 goals and eight assists, including five powerplay conversions.
The Kings are 16th in goals and 14th in assists. Also, they have been relatively solid at shooting the puck, ranking 1oth in shooting percentage. But they have struggled with the extra-man attack, ranking 25th on the powerplay.
Darcy Kuemper likely starts for the Kings and comes in with a record of 8-2-5 with a 2.40 goals-against average and a save percentage of .909. He will play behind a defense that is second in goals against and 11th on the penalty kill.
The Kings will cover the spread if the offense can spring to life and find some room to maneuver on the ice. Then, they must shut down McDavid and Draisaitl, forcing others to beat them.
Final Oilers-Kings Prediction & Pick
The Oilers are 13-21 against the spread, while the Kings are 18-16 against the odds. Moreover, the Oilers are 7-7 against the spread on the road, while the Kings are 7-6 against the odds at home. The Oilers are 14-17-3 against the over/under, while the Kings are 11-20-3 against the over/under.
The Oilers have dominated the Kings in recent years. However, the Kings have played them tight at home. I expect that to be the case again, as the Kings cover the spread at home.
Final Oilers-Kings Prediction & Pick: Los Angeles Kings: +1.5 (-260)
