NHL Betting Preview (April 24): Kings vs. Oilers Game 2 Odds

Photo credit:© Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

10 days ago

Edmonton will look to take a 2-0 series lead to Los Angeles with a win over the Kings in Wednesday’s game at Rogers Place. Following their 7-4 victory in Game 1, this article examines how the Oilers’ performance has impacted the odds heading into Game 2.

Kings vs. Oilers Game 2 Odds

Los Angeles Kings Moneyline Odds: +165
Edmonton Oilers Moneyline Odds: -200
Puck Line Odds: Kings +1.5 (-160), Oilers -1.5 (+135)
Game Total: 6 goals (over -110, under -110)

All odds courtesy of Bet365.

Series Odds Update

Edmonton was a -170 moneyline favourite in that game. After their dominant performance, oddsmakers listed them as a -185 favourite for Game 2. Since then, they have moved to -200, or 1.50 for those of you that use decimal odds. Edmonton is now a -450 favourite to advance to the second round after a series odds update. The Oilers were a -210 series favourite prior to Game 1. This implies their chances of winning have improved from around 68 to 82 percent. The Oilers broke a streak of seven consecutive Game 1 losses with Monday’s win.

Check out Daily Faceoff to get updates regarding the line combinations and goaltenders for Game 2.

Handicapping the Kings (44-39 SU, 38-45 ATS, 32-48 OU)

If Game 1 is any indication, Los Angeles doesn’t have any hope of containing the Oilers’ top line. Matt Roy and Vladislav Gavrikov certainly weren’t up to the task, neither were Philipp Danault, Trevor Moore, and Viktor Arvidsson. It really didn’t matter who the Kings sent over the boards, though, McDavid ate them up.

When McDavid was on the ice, shot attempts favoured the Oilers 36-11. The Kings allowed 77 shot attempts in the game, their fourth-highest total of the season. Kings’ defenseman Drew Doughty noted that Game 1 was probably the poorest they’ve played against the Oilers in the last three years. Los Angeles has been able to frustrate the Oilers in the past, but they were not able to break up Edmonton’s attack in Game 1.

Even the Kings’ penalty kill, which finished second in the regular season, was no match for the Oilers’ power play. Edmonton scored on three of four opportunities, while also killing off two penalties themselves. Los Angeles isn’t going to go down without a fight, but the only positive that they can take away from Game 1 is that they were able to score four goals on Stuart Skinner. Meanwhile, goaltender Cam Talbot isn’t the reason Los Angeles is trailing in the series, but he’s going to have to shake off that performance and be better going forward.

Handicapping the Oilers (50-33 SU, 39-44 ATS, 36-44 O/U)

Right from the moment the Oilers hit the ice in Game 1, you could tell that it was going to be different than past series openers. Edmonton was physical, and sharp with the puck. They looked like a team who had been there before. Heading into Game 2, Edmonton must play with that same type of desperation.

The Oilers won Game 1 easily despite the fact that McDavid played just 18 minutes and 49 seconds. That’s almost five minutes less than his career average (23:29) in the playoffs. That’s big, given that Los Angeles is expected to push back, because McDavid will be fresh for head coach Kris Knoblauch to use as needed. Then again, if everybody does their job like they did on Monday, the Oilers’ captain might make it to Los Angeles without cracking the 20-minute mark.

McDavid was the only member of Edmonton’s top six not to light the lamp in Game 1. Zach Hyman had a hattrick and Adam Henrique set a record for longest span (4,333 days) between NHL playoff goals. Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Warren Foegele also scored in the game. In fact, all seven Oilers’ goals were scored by the top-six forwards. On the one hand, it’s great to see Edmonton’s top players perform, but the team needs some scoring from its bottom six.

Edmonton probably won’t score six or seven goals in every game, though. So, Stuart Skinner must tighten things up a bit more than he did in Game 1. Skinner has allowed four or more goals in six of his last seven playoff appearances, but he managed to hold Los Angeles to three or fewer goals in four of six games last spring. Edmonton should win this series regardless of whether Skinner is sharp or not, but it will end a lot quicker if he is.

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Team Betting Trends

Since 2021, the Oilers have scored five or more goals in 13 out of 33 playoff games. Only the Colorado Avalanche have scored more goals per game than Edmonton during that period. The last time Edmonton scored seven or more goals in a playoff game was on May 6th, 2022, when they scored eight goals versus the Kings. Monday marked the third time in the McDavid era that Edmonton scored seven-plus goals in a playoff game.
The Oilers are 9-5 straight up against the Kings in the playoffs since the 2022-23 season. Edmonton has scored 4.21 goals per game in the playoffs versus Los Angeles dating back to the 2022 playoffs. Los Angeles has scored 2.93 goals per game.

Player Prop Betting Trends

Connor McDavid has now scored two or more points in 11 out of 14 career playoff games against Los Angeles. However, before his five-point performance in Game 1, McDavid had never recorded more than three points in a playoff game against the Kings.
Game 1 was McDavid’s 50th playoff game. He’s scored two or more points in 26 times, and three or more points in 13 times. McDavid has recorded at least a point in 39 points. No. 97 is listed at -125 to score at least two points, +250 to score at least three points, and +650 to score at least four points. He is also listed at +140 to score an anytime goal.
For Los Angeles, targeting players that spent time away from the Oilers’ top line seems like a wise strategy. Skaters like Adrian Kempe and Pierre-Luc Dubois played well in Game 1. Kempe continued his success against the Oilers, potting his eighth goal and 15th point in 13 career playoff games. He also had five shots on goal. Kempe is listed at +200 to score a goal on Wednesday. Dubois, meanwhile, scored a goal on three shots. When Dubois is on, he can be a difference maker. He is listed at +375 to score a goal.

Best Bets for Oilersnation

Los Angeles can talk about playing their style of hockey, but the Oilers will dictate how the games in this series will be played, as they have the last two seasons. The Kings have needed at least four goals in four out of their five playoff victories over Edmonton since 2022. Los Angeles has allowed four or more goals in nine out of 14 playoff games versus the Oilers. Between that, and Skinner’s past playoff performances, betting on the game to go over six goals at -110 odds is a smart play.