The 3rd-seed Los Angeles Kings go up against divisional-rival 2nd-seed Edmonton Oilers Monday in Game 1 of their 1st-round series at Rogers Place. Puck drop is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET (ESPN). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Kings vs. Oilers odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
The Kings limped into the postseason with a 5-5-0 mark in the last 10. All-Star LW Kevin Fiala (lower body) has been out since April 1 and didn’t participate in practice Saturday. They also have a decision to make between the pipes as Pheonix Copley really saved their season, but Joonas Korpisalo has the playoff experience. LA is +185 underdogs to win the series.
Edmonton was dominant down the stretch as C Connor McDavid fed his teammates as well as he fed himself. He led the league in goals (63), assists (89) and points (153). The Oilers have the 3rd-shortest odds to win the Stanley Cup at +900 and 2nd-shortest (+300) to come out of the West. McDavid has a lot of early exits from the playoffs chirping at him on his shoulder, and he’s looking to go deep.
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Kings at Oilers odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:46 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Kings +165 (bet $100 to win $165) | Oilers -200 (bet $200 to win $100)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Kings +1.5 (-155) | Oilers -1.5 (+125)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Kings at Oilers projected goalies
Joonas Korpisalo (18-14-4, 2.87 GAA, .915 SV%, 1 SO – reg. season) vs. Stuart Skinner (29-14-5, 2.75 GAA, .914 SV%, 1 SO – reg. season)
The Kings could go with either Copley or Korpisalo here, but I think the playoff experience will give the edge. Korpisalo went 7-3-1 with a 2.13 GAA and .921 SV% in 11 games since being acquired from Columbus. He started 9 postseason games in 2019-20 and helped upset the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was 3-5 with a 1.90 GAA, .941 SV% and 2 SO in those playoffs. He was great in a 2-0 loss to Edmonton March 30, stopping 35 of 37 shots.
Skinner’s emergence put this team into position to make some noise. He was awesome down the stretch, going 4-0-0 with a 1.25 GAA and .961 SV% in 4 April starts. He was 2-1-0 with a 1.78 GAA and .950 SV% in 4 games against LA this season. The last time he faced them, he delivered a 43-save shutout March 30.
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Kings at Oilers picks and predictions
Prediction
Oilers 3, Kings 2
Moneyline
The Kings played Edmonton hard this season, allowing them to only score 9 goals in 4 games. Their defense will keep it interesting, but Edmonton will be too ferocious to contain offensively. I might consider the chalky -200 Oilers ML here, but there is value to be had on the lesser-known options.
Head to the Win/Total section, and under 1×2 and Both Teams to Score 1 or More Goals in Regular Time: OILERS TO WIN AND YES (+100).
Puck line/Against the spread
The Kings were great on the puck line at 46-36 this season and especially good on the road at 26-15. I think they stay within a goal, and Edmonton only had 4 empty-netters all year, but I’m not paying -155 with the possibility of McDavid facing an empty net.
I think this one is tight throughout, so head to the Win/Total section again, and take OILERS AND UNDER 6.5 GOALS (+175).
Over/Under
As mentioned, I like the Under here. Despite going 9-0-1 in the last 10 games, Edmonton was just 3-5-2 O/U. The Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings and 4-1 in the last 5 in Edmonton. You can PASS here because we’re already banking on the Under in a mini-parlay. Or you can take the UNDER 6.5 (-110) banking on 2 hot goalies and 2 teams playing sound defense.
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