The Edmonton Oilers jumped out to an early lead and steamrolled the Los Angeles Kings in Game 1. Oilers superstar Connor McDavid racked up five assists, linemate Zach Hyman scored a hat trick, and Leon Draisaitl, Adam Henrique, and Evan Bouchard all recorded multi-point showings. It was a rout.
My NHL picks determine if the Kings will rebound and put Game 1 in the rearview mirror, or if the Oilers take a commanding 2-0 series lead tonight with another win at Rogers Place.
Here are our Kings vs. Oilers predictions for Game 2 on Wednesday, April 24.
Kings vs Oilers prediction
My best bet
Oilers 3-way moneyline (-120 at SIA)
My analysis
The Los Angeles Kings don’t have the personnel to win high-event games against the Edmonton Oilers. Edmonton generated 14 high-danger scoring chances and 2.34 expected goals in the first period of Game 1. And, while there was pushback from the Kings, Edmonton still won the expected goals battle handily (59.1%).
Los Angeles also needs to figure out how to limit Connor McDavid. The Edmonton superstar had a 66.7 Corsi For percentage at 5-on-5 and picked up three power-play assists.
Los Angeles has the personnel to slow the game down with a focused forecheck that makes defensive zone exits more difficult and helps quash the Edmonton transition game in the neutral zone. Unfortunately, it will limit the Kings' offensive opportunities if they commit to that game plan. It’s a double-edged sword, too, because the Oilers were stingy (2.59 goals against per game) on home ice and drove 5-on-5 possession (54.9 CF%) during the regular season.
Additionally, if Los Angeles does push all in to stop No. 97, the Edmonton supporting cast is deep and talented enough to create other on-ice mismatches. With that said, stopping McDavid probably isn’t even in the cards because I have confidence Edmonton head coach Kris Knoblauch will utilize the last change to his advantage.
While Game 2 won’t be another Edmonton rout, and I expect it to be a lower-scoring final, the Oilers will head south with a 2-0 series lead.
Kings vs Oilers same-game parlay (SGP)
Oilers moneyline
Under 6.5
Connor McDavid anytime goal
Sure, the 11 goals in Game 1 jump off the page, but a lot went on that led to the high-scoring affair. Edmonton scored three times on the power play and added an empty-net goal, while two of the Los Angeles goals were lucky, to say the least. One Kings tally was a double deflection that went in off Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse’s foot. Another followed Cody Ceci’s stick-breaking off a won neutral-zone faceoff that left his defense partner flat-footed and out of position for a golden Los Angeles 2-on-1 opportunity.
I’m also targeting McDavid to find the back of the net after finishing Game 1 with 0.5 individual expected goals on six shot attempts and an individual high-danger scoring chance. McDavid only has 12 goals through his past 34 games with a 9.8 shooting percentage since the All-Star break, so after he posted a 15.6 SH% through his first eight seasons in the league and a 16.6% mark across his prior five trips to the postseason, I expect statistical correction to kick in for the superstar.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
Kings vs Oilers odds
Kings vs Oilers live odds
Kings vs Oilers opening odds
- Puck line: Los Angeles +1.5 (-185) | Edmonton -1.5 (+150)
- Moneyline: Los Angeles +140 | Edmonton -165
- Over/Under: Over 6 (+100) | Under 6 (-120)
Kings vs Oilers moneyline and Over/Under analysis
- Edmonton opened and remains a sizable home favorite in Game 2, and there has been movement to -190 after the Oilers opened at -165.
- For comparison, bet365 has held strong with Edmonton -185 since opening.
- This total is a consensus 6.0 and there has been slight movement to the Over at the majority of shops.
- While I don’t expect to see significant movement to the moneyline or total leading into puck drop, both teams have yet to take their morning skate and neither starting goalie has been announced.
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Kings vs Oilers trend
Edmonton is 28-5-3 on home ice since Kris Knoblauch took over as head coach. Find more NHL betting trends for Kings vs. Oilers.
Kings vs Oilers game info
| Location: | Rogers Place, Edmonton, AB |
| Date: | Wednesday, 4-24-2024 |
| Puck drop: | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | TBS, MAX |
Kings vs Oilers latest injuries
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