Kings vs. Oilers Odds
| Kings Odds | +115 |
| Oilers Odds | -175 |
| Over/Under | 7 (+115/-135) |
| Time | 10 p.m. ET |
| TV | TNT |
| Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
We have a Pacific Division tilt tonight with the fourth-place Edmonton Oilers hosting the second-place Los Angeles Kings. These two teams squared off in the first round of last season's Stanley Cup Playoffs, with Edmonton winning a thrilling series in seven games.
Will the Oilers take care of business once again, or can the Kings pull off the upset as a road underdog?
Buy Low on Quick and the Kings
The Los Angeles Kings enter in good form, winning four of their last five games. Goaltender Jonathan Quick is projected to take the crease for the Kings in this matchup.
It has been a tough start to the year for Los Angeles' netminder, who is 6-5-1 with a .895 SV% and 3.09 GAA through 13 appearances between the pipes. However, based on his track record against the Oilers, now is a good time to buy low on Quick.
Across his last five regular season games against Edmonton, he boasts a .924 SV% and 1.99 GAA. The Kings defense in front of Quick is strong and does not nearly get enough credit in this league.
At 5v5, the Kings rank fourth in Expected Goals Against per 60 minutes (xGA/60). Out of defensive pairings that have played at least 100 minutes together this season, both the Durzi-Roy and Anderson-Doughty pairings rank among the top 10 in the league in xGA/60.
There are only two other teams that have two defensive pairings inside the top 10, the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers.
Oilers Offense Struggling of Late
The Edmonton Oilers have not been as strong as the Kings recently, losing four of their last six games. The significance of Evander Kane's absence from the lineup (due to a scary wrist injury when he got cut by a skate blade against the Lightning) cannot be overstated.
This team's offense is already extremely thin outside of their two superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and Kane's absence just amplifies this club's reliance on those two guys to produce the majority of the offense. Not only has the offense struggled recently, but Edmonton specifically looks lethargic at the beginning of games.
Entering this contest, the Oilers have failed to score in the first period in four of their last five games. Another big problem with this offense is that they rely heavily on special teams, which is a trend carried over from last season as well.
Currently, the Oilers rank third in the league in Power Play Goals. However, they may not get as many opportunities against a disciplined Kings team that ranks 12th in penalty minutes.
Kings vs. Oilers Pick
It is no secret that the Oilers completely run through McDavid and Draisaitl. If you shut those two down, then you will likely win the game.
While that is easier said than done, this Los Angeles blue line is capable of stepping up to the task. Books have yet to adequately adjust for just how big of an absence Kane is for this team, and there is a ton of value at a large number for Edmonton to start off slow once again.
As long as the Kings stay out of the penalty box, then there is a decent shot at the Oilers getting blanked in the first period for the fifth time over their last six games.
Pick: Edmonton Oilers 1P Team Total Under 0.5 (+185) | Play down to (+170)
