The Los Angeles Kings are only ahead of the Edmonton Oilers by two points for the second spot in the Pacific Division, which is also why the game between these teams this Wednesday night is expected to be a thrilling one. The Kings have 81 points on the strength of a 36-23-9 record, while the Oilers are 37-25-5 for 79 points. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NHL odds series, which includes our Kings-Oilers prediction, odds, and pick we have laid out below.

Click here to Bet $5, Win $150 in site credits regardless of if your bet wins or loses on March Madness (30-1 Odds)

*To claim, new users need to register, make a first-time deposit, and then simply place their first real-money wager on FanDuel Sportsbook on any March Madness game during the tournament. All winning bets will be fulfilled within 72 hours if they win.*

Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Kings-Oilers odds:

NHL odds: Kings-Oilers Odds

Kings: +1.5 (-144) (+168 ML)

Oilers: -1.5 (+118) (-205 ML)

Over: 6.5 (-124)

Under: 6.5 (+102)

*Watch NHL Games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)

Why the Kings Could Cover the Spread 

It’s been an up-and-down ride for the Kings over their past handful of games. After defeating the Seattle Kraken on the road Saturday to the tune of a 4-2 score, the Kings suffered a 6-1 loss Monday against the same team and in the same venue. The Kings’ inconsistency has been a major headache for Los Angeles, which is 4-4-1 in its last nine games, during which the team was not able to win nor lose games consecutively.

While that doesn’t necessarily mean that LA will win its matchup tonight against a team the Kings have already beaten once this season, the same erratic play is quite telling of their chances to take down a formidable opponent. Over their last 10 games, the Kings have defeated the likes of the Florida Panthers, San Jose Sharks, and Nashville Predators by a combined winning margin of nine goals.  If there’s one positive thing that the Kings have been doing consistently of late, it’s winning the possession battle.

Through their past nine contests, the Kings have recorded a 56.7 CF%. They have won the shots battle in each of their last five contests, which can also be said about them in the two games they’ve met Edmonton this season. That includes LA’s 5-1 road win in December over the Oilers where the Kings finished the contest with an enormous +18 in shots advantage (40-22). Also keep an eye out on the Kings’ power-play attack which has converted four of seven opportunities across four games.

Why the Oilers Could Cover the Spread

The Oilers’ chances to make the playoffs looked dead in the water weeks ago, but Connor McDavid and company have risen to the point of becoming a serious threat to take the third spot in the Pacific Division. Edmonton is 7-2-1 in its last nine games and is coming off an easy 6-1 home win over the hapless Arizona Coyotes. That was a nice pick-me-up win for an Oilers team that definitely needed one following a 9-5 crushing loss to the Calgary Flames on the road.

Whichever goalie between Mikko Koskinen and Mike Smith the Oilers will send to patrol the crease later tonight is certainly hoping that Edmonton will continue spoiling him with fat goal support. The Oilers are one of only three teams in the NHL this month that has averaged at least four goals a game; they are second with 4.07 goals for per contest and seventh with 34.5 shots per in 14 games this March. When the Oilers tamed Los Angeles in a 5-2 road win in February, Smith was in front of the net, rejecting all but two of the Kings’ 32 shots on goal. Zach Hyman, Evander Kane, and McDavid all struck with a goal apiece in that contest as well as young gun Kyler Yamamoto.

Just to underscore further how impressive Edmonton’s goal-production lately, the Oilers have four players with at least seven goals in the last 10 Oilers games, including Leon Draisaitl, who has 10 goals and seven assists during that span. With the Kings nursing a number of key injuries on their blue line, Oilers forwards might have another offensive feast going this Wednesday.

Final Kings-Oilers Prediction & Pick

The Kings have been consistently getting lots of shots. They just couldn’t convert. But that could pay off tonight versus Edmonton’s lukewarm goaltending. The Oilers are also flirting with offensive regression with the way they have been scoring this month. I’m going to gamble on the Kings winning straight up in this game. 

Final Kings-Oilers Pick: Kings +168 ML