Kings vs. Oilers forecast, odds, pick

The Los Angeles Kings will travel to western Canada to deal with Edmonton Oilers. It will be a rematch of the Western Conference playoffs as we share our NHL odds series and make a Kings-Oilers prediction and pick.

The Kings are 37-36 in their past 73 regular season games against the Oilers. Specifically, it will be theirs first visit to Rogers Place since their playoff elimination last season at the hands of the Oilers. The Kings outlasted the Oilers 4-3 on December 28, 2024 at the Crypt. Notably, the Oilers are 6-4 in their last 10 regular season games. The Oilers are 4-1 in their last five games against the Kings at Rodgers. In the end, the Kings won 5-4 in Game 2 in a last-gasp win at Rogers.

Here are the Kings-Oilers NHL oddscourtesy of FanDuel.

NHL odds: Kings-Oilers odds

Los Angeles Kings: +1.5 (-180)

Moneilines: +140

Edmonton Oilers: -1.5 (+146)

Moneilines: -170

Over: 5.5 (-128)

Under: 5.5 (+104)

How to watch Kings vs Oilers

Time: 9:30 PM ET/6:30 PM PT

TV: ESPN+ and FDSV

*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*

Why the Kings could cover the spread/win

The Kings are currently third in the Pacific Division and could be active in the trading market to try to boost their team’s chances in the second half of the playoffs. However, they played well enough to beat the Oilers last time out and will look to repeat the feat.

Scoring in the first period helped the Kings a lot last time. It is significant that they did not panic when they fell behind 1-0. The Kings answered a few minutes later to tie the game and then take the lead later in the period. The Kings also didn’t give up when they allowed the Oilers to tie the game and eventually take the lead. Instead, they responded quickly and tied the game in the third period to create a chance to win in overtime. Three minutes into the extra session, Quinton Byfield scored his eighth goal of the game (and second of the day) to finish off the Oilers.

This game showed that the Kings can go toe to toe with the Oilers and not give up when faced with tremendous pressure from them. Incredibly, they won 54 percent of their faceoffs. Although they only got one powerplay chance (which they didn’t use), they still scored four goals of equal strength. The Kings also had 25 hits and 15 blocked shots while remaining disciplined. Allowing the Oilers to go 1 for 2 on the powerplay didn’t hurt them as they were able to come back.

The Kings will cover the spread if they can score early to give themselves a good chance to keep up with the Oilers and silence the crowd. Next, they must defend well and not allow the Oilers any additional chances.

Why the Oilers could cover the spread/win

The The Oilers are looking for more defense as they try to enter the second half with a better shot at returning to the Stanley Cup. There have often been lulls this season, as the Oilers have hovered between second and third in the Pacific Division.

When they played the Kings in December, they had two leads they couldn’t hold on to. Moreover, they lost tough battles and did not fare well in even-strength hockey. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl had assists, but neither megastar could do more to boost his team.

It also hurt that the Oilers didn’t do well in the faceoff circle, winning just 46 percent of their draws. Because of this, the loss of faceoffs meant that they often chased the Kings for pucks. This limited their chances to shoot the puck and get additional scoring opportunities.

As mentioned earlier, defense was an issue, and the Oilers couldn’t handle the Kings’ offense. Stuart Skinner stopped 25 of 29 shots. Ultimately, the Oilers will need more from him and their defense as they deal with Los Angeles’ scoring offense.

The Oilers will cover the faceoff if they can win the faceoff and give themselves more chances to score. Likewise, they also need their defense to straighten up and not allow the Kings to get too many chances.

Final Kings-Oilers prediction and pick

The Kings are 22-18 against the spread, while the Oilers are 16-26 against the spread. Furthermore, the Kings are 13-10 against the spread on the road, while the Oilers are 7-15 against the spread at home. The Kings are 13-24-2 against the over/under, while the Oilers are 18-21-3 against the over/under.

This game will look like a playoff game, as both teams are very familiar with each other. Consequently, the Oilers haven’t been able to put teams away, and I see that happening again. Expect the Kings to stay in this one and cover the spread on the road.

Final Kings-Oilers prediction and pick: Kings +1.5 (-180)