The Edmonton Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings are clashing tonight in Game 1 of their playoff series at crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
This matchup kicks off what we think will be a tight battle between two Pacific Division foes. Edmonton finished the regular season with a solid 48-29-5 record and racking up 101 points, while Los Angeles ended just in front of them at 48-25-9 with 105 points.
Both teams have been undoubtedly solid all year, but the playoffs always bring a new level of intensity that you just don’t find in the regular season.
The betting lines for tonight’s matchup show a tight game, which isn’t surprising given how close these teams were in the standings and what they bring to the table.
The Oilers are slight underdogs on the moneyline at +110, while the Kings are favored at -130. That’s a lot closer than we expected, but we’ll see what the numbers tell us.
The spread has Edmonton on the puck line at +1.5 with odds of -250, and Los Angeles at -1.5 with +185. The total is set at 6.5 goals, with the over at -105 and the under at -115. These numbers tell us that the bookmakers expect a competitive game, but they’re giving a slight edge to the Kings at home and it’s easy to see why — they’ve been dominant on their home ice going 31-6-4.
The total at 6.5 goals hints at some decent scoring potential, especially with offensive stars like Leon Draisaitl and Adrian Kempe on the ice. However, it’s worth noting that both teams have strong goaltending, which just might keep things tighter than expected.
Both teams came out of the final stretch of the season pretty hot. Both went 4-1 in their last 5, but we did happen to get a preview of this series before the season closed. Of course, at the end of the season with teams fighting for different things, this isn’t always a good tell.
However, that Oilers 5-0 loss to the Kings on April 14 stands out to us — it shows Los Angeles can shut down Edmonton’s high-powered offense even though Draisaitl and McDavid didn’t play that game. That 5-0 win over the Oilers is a big confidence booster heading into this series regardless of whether Edmonton was preserving some of their stars.
Offensively, the Oilers are led by Leon Draisaitl, who had a monster season with 106 points spanning 52 goals and 54 assists. Connor McDavid, one of the best players in the world, added 74 assists and 22 goals, while Zach Hyman chipped in 46 goals. Edmonton’s power play is clicking at 23.7%, and they’ve scored 5 shorthanded goals, showing they can capitalize on special teams when they really turn it on.
The Kings, on the other hand, rely on Adrian Kempe, who tallied 73 points over 35 goals and 38 assists. Anze Kopitar dished out 46 helpers and 21 goals, and Kevin Fiala added 25 assists and 35 goals. Los Angeles has a 17.9% power play success rate, which is one of the worst in the league, so they’ll have to step that up if they want to remain competitive.
In the net, the Oilers have Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard. Skinner went 26-18-4 with a 2.81 GAA and a .896 SV%, while Pickard was 22-10-1 with a 2.71 GAA and a .900 SV%. Neither are elite but should be good enough to remain competitive in the playoffs.
For the Kings, David Rittich and Darcy Kuemper have been reliable between the pipes. Rittich posted a 16-14-2 record with a 2.84 GAA and a .887 SV%, while Kuemper went 31-11-7 with a 2.02 GAA and a .922 SV%. Kuemper’s numbers are elite, and if he gets the start, which we cannot see why he wouldn’t, he could be a difference-maker.
The Kings have a slight edge on the blue line, allowing 2.48 GAA compared to Edmonton’s 2.87. Los Angeles also has a better PK unit at 81.4% compared to Edmonton’s 78.2%, both of which aren’t that bad. But the Oilers are more dangerous offensively, averaging 3.16 goals per game to the Kings’ 3.04. This game will likely come down to whether Edmonton’s offense can break through Los Angeles’ defense and goaltending.
This is a tough one to call, but we’re siding with the Kings to take Game 1.
Los Angeles has been the more consistent team coming out of the regular season, and that 5-0 win over Edmonton on April 14 shows they know how to handle the Oilers’ offense.
Darcy Kuemper has been lights out with a 2.02 GAA and .922 SV%, and if he’s in the net, he’ll be tough to beat. The Kings also have the home-ice advantage at crypto.com Arena, where they’ve been ridiculously strong all season. Adrian Kempe has been a scoring machine with 35 goals, and we expect him to find the back of the net tonight.
Sure, the Oilers have the firepower with Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, but their recent loss to the Kings shows their depth can struggle against strong defensive teams. Edmonton’s goaltending is solid, but Stuart Skinner’s .896 save percentage doesn’t really inspire as much confidence as Kuemper’s numbers. The Oilers might keep it close early on, but we think the Kings’ defense and the home crowd will be the difference.
We’re going to go with a 4-2 win for the Kings. They’ll lean on their defense, get a big game from Kempe, and capitalize on their dominant power play unit if and when Edmonton takes penalties.
Of course, the total at 6.5 goals is tempting, but with both teams having strong goaltenders, we think this game stays under and we see a tight game to the end.
For the best bet, we’re taking the Kings on the moneyline at -130. It’s not the juiciest price, but it’s the smart play given how strong these teams are. Los Angeles has the edge in this matchup, and we’d be surprised if they don’t start the series with a win.
BettorsInsider’s Prediction: Kings 4, Oilers 2
Best Bet: Kings on the ML at -130
If you’re like us and looking for a bit more value, you might want to take Adrian Kempe to score a goal tonight at +195. That's not a bad NHL prop bet for the night. He’s been hot all season, and with 35 goals, he’s a good bet to light the lamp against an Oilers defense that’s not overly powerful. On top of that, he’s also notched at least 1 point in his last 9 appearances. There's a good chance he does it again.
This series is going to be a battle, but we’re confident the Kings take the first step to take the series tonight in Los Angeles.