There is no tougher trophy to win in all of the sports than the Stanley Cup. The NHL playoffs and the quest for Lord Stanley’s Cup begins for both the Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers tonight in Edmonton.
The Oilers are among the betting favorites to win the Western Conference, while the Kings are poised to play spoiler, something they almost did in the 2022 NHL playoffs, pushing the Oilers to seven games.
The Oilers defeated the Kings in the first round last season before ultimately making it to the Western Conference Finals, while these two teams split the 2022-23 head-to-head series.
We’ll review the Los Angeles Kings at Edmonton Oilers Picks, the important stats, trends, and NHL odds for Game 1 of this Pacific Division first-round rematch.
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Overall Game Info & Outlook
- Los Angeles Kings (47-25-10) at Edmonton Oilers (50-23-9)
- The Oilers won the most recent matchup 3-1 on April 4th
- Rogers Place, Edmonton, Alberta
- Monday, April 17th, 2023, 10:00 PM ET | ESPN, SportsNet, TVAS
Los Angeles Kings at Edmonton Oilers Betting Preview
Los Angeles Kings Preview
The Los Angeles Kings won their final two games of the NHL schedule of the regular season but went 5-5 in the last ten games, with four of their wins coming against non-playoff teams. The Kings finished the NHL standings with a record of 21-14-6 on the road this season.
Trends:
- The Kings are 5-5 straight-up in the previous ten games.
- Los Angeles has defeated Edmonton twice this season: 3-1 on November 16th and 6-3 on January 9th.
- The Kings are 4-6 over/under in the last ten games.
- Los Angeles is 5-12 in the previous 17 games in Edmonton.
Stats:
The Kings ranked 11th in the NHL, scoring 3.3 goals per game, while the powerplay was ranked fourth in the league, converting at 25.3%.
Defensively, the Kings ranked 16th, giving up 3.1 goals per game, while the penalty kill finished the season ranked 24th, operating at 75.8%.
While Pheonix Copley (24-6-3, 2.64 GAA, .903 SV%) has been the Kings’ starter throughout the season, there is a chance that Joonas Korpisalo (18-14-4, 2.87 GAA, .915 SV%) will get the start in net.
We highly recommend checking the Kings lineup closer to puck drop for who will start in the net for Los Angeles.
Prediction for winning this game:
For the Los Angeles Kings to win this game, they’ll need their goaltenders to hold the Oilers’ offense in check while requiring their penalty kill to outplay their regular season NHL stats against Edmonton’s unbelievable powerplay when the Oilers get a powerplay opportunity.
Edmonton Oilers Preview
The Edmonton Oilers did everything they could to win the Pacific Division.
The Oilers closed the 2022-23 NHL season on a nine-game winning streak and winning 14 of the last 15 games. The Oilers’ nine-game winning streak includes two wins over the Kings, winning 2-0 on March 30th and 3-1 on April 4th.
Edmonton had a 21-12-6 record on home ice this season.
Trends:
- The Oilers are 9-1 in the last ten home games.
- Edmonton finished the season on a nine-game winning streak.
- The Oilers have a 3-5-2 over/under record in the last ten games.
- The under is 4-1 in the previous five meetings in Edmonton and 5-1 in the previous six matchups overall.
Stats:
The Edmonton Oilers offense boasts three 100-point players, including the best hockey player on the planet, Connor McDavid. The Oilers had the number-one-ranked offense in the NHL, averaging 4.0 goals per game.
Edmonton’s powerplay finished the season converting at an astonishing 32.4%, far and away the best powerplay in the league.
Defensively, Edmonton hasn’t been as sharp, ranked 17th and giving up 3.1 goals per game, while the penalty kill finished the season ranked 20th, operating at 77.0%.
The Oilers will likely start goalie Stuart Skinner (29-14-5, 2.75 GAA, .914 SV%), who has emerged as the Oilers’ best option in net over free-agent singing Jack Campbell (21-9-4, 3.41GAA, .888 SV%).
Prediction for winning this game:
The roadmap to victory is simple for the Edmonton Oilers: score and score often while hoping their goaltending and defense hold up under pressure.
However, they’ll have to do it without their vaunted powerplay, as NHL referees let the players play and call fewer penalties in the playoffs.
Yet, somehow, Connor McDavid will elevate to a new level of skill and lead the Oilers’ scoring brigade.
Top Sportsbooks Odds
BetOnline: Edmonton -191
Bovada: Edmonton -191
MyBookie: Edmonton -189
BetUS: Edmonton -190
BetNow: Edmonton -190
Los Angeles Kings at Edmonton Oilers Odds & Picks
Odds for this Matchup
Recommended Pick:
Game 1 of the playoffs is always a tricky bet to successfully make. Often, we’ll see a road underdog pull off an upset, setting things in motion for a significant series upset. Both NHL teams won two games this season, scoring wins at home and on the road.
With little to parse from the head-to-head data, the question remains can the Los Angeles Kings upset the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 on the road?
Notably, between the first two games of the season, which Los Angeles won, and the final two games of the season, which Edmonton won, the Oilers got significantly better defensively with the addition of Mattias Ekholm.
We don’t expect the powerplay to be a factor with the referee whistles going away in the playoffs, but expect the Oilers’ two-headed powerplay monster of McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to feast when given the man advantage.
We’re taking the Edmonton Oilers to defeat the Los Angeles Kings in Game 1 on home ice in a series that seems destined to go seven games.
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