Oilers vs Kings Series Odds, Preview, Schedule & Prediction

Mar 28, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) looks to make a pass in front of Los Angeles Kings forward Trevor Lewis (61) during the third period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

• The Oilers and Kings meet once again in the NHL Playoffs
• The 2024 Round 1 NHL Playoff odds favor the Oilers to advance
• Read below for Oilers vs Kings series odds, preview, schedule and prediction

For the third straight season, the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings will meet in Round 1 of the NHL Playoffs. The higher-seeded Oilers will once again hold home-ice advantage, with the series scheduled to begin early next week.

Oddsmakers firmly believe the Oilers will defeat the Kings in the playoffs for the third straight year. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Edmonton is a sizeable moneyline favorite over the Kings.

Will history repeat itself in the NHL Playoff Bracket? Let’s take a look at the Round 1 NHL series odds, schedule and make our early Oilers vs Kings prediction.

Edmonton Oilers vs Los Angeles Kings Series Odds

In the Oilers vs Kings series odds, Edmonton is a heavy -160 moneyline favorite, giving them a 54.5 percent implied win probability to advance to Round 2.

Odds as of April 18, 2024, at DraftKings Sportsbook. Claim the DraftKings promo code to bet on the NHL Playoffs.

Oilers vs Kings Series Schedule

The Oilers vs Kings series schedule has been released, with Game 1 set for Monday, April 22nd. CBC will carry the first two games in Canada, while TBS will take over the series in the USA following Game 1 (ESPN2).

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Oilers Still Looking to Break Through

The Edmonton Oilers are still trying to win their first Stanley Cup in the Connor McDavid era as they enter the 2024 postseason. Kris Knoblauch’s team was eliminated in Round 2 by Vegas last spring after reaching the Western Conference final the previous season.

Edmonton finished second in the Pacific Division with a 49-26-6 record. They were led all season by Connor McDavid, who racked up an impressive 32 goals and 100 assists. McDavid was among many Oilers players who sat out Thursday’s season finale against the Avalanche.

Zach Hyman emerged as an elite scoring threat this season, potting 54 goals, while Leon Draisaitl continued his dominance with 41 goals and 65 assists. Evan Bouchard anchored the blue line, posting 18 goals and 64 assists.

The Oilers’ offensive firepower enabled them to finish the regular season with 292 goals, the fourth-most in the entire NHL. The team has made some strides defensively this season, allowing 2.85 goals per game (10th).

However, goaltending remained a question mark. Stuart Skinner carried the load with a 2.57 GAA and .907 save percentage in 58 games, while Jack Campbell struggled in his five appearances with a 4.49 GAA. Calvin Pickard provided shaky backup support with a .90 save percentage in 23 games.

Kings Hope to Exercise First-Round Demons

The LA Kings are substantial underdogs in the Round 1 NHL Playoff Series odds, in part due to their recent playoff struggles. LA has lost to this same Edmonton team in back-to-back postseasons, both in the first round.

The Kings don’t have overly impressive team stats, but they play a frustrating defensive style that makes them intriguing playoff underdogs. The Kings are allowing just 2.54 goals per game, which is third-best in the NHL.

“brb gonna end this”

– Adrian Kempe probably pic.twitter.com/aZ5xSUtsJ4

— x – LA Kings (@LAKings) April 19, 2024

Although the Kings are a stout defensive team, they aren’t lacking in goal-scoring. McLellan’s club is averaging 3.07 goals per contest, which puts them middle of the pack in the NHL.

Adrian Kempe emerged as an offensive force, potting 27 goals and 46 assists, while captain Anze Kopitar continued to lead by example with 26 goals and 44 assists of his own. Youngster, Quinton Byfield, meanwhile, took a big step forward, posting 19 goals and 34 assists in his third full NHL season.

Oilers vs Series Prediction

It’s really hard to bet against this Edmonton team, especially considering how they’ve handled the Kings in the past two postseasons. If things start to fall through the cracks for the Oil, Edmonton has the best player in the world to pick up the slack.

We aren’t counting the Kings out in this series by any means, however. They have superior possession numbers to Edmonton in certain categories and play a style that is effective in the postseason. Here’s how these two teams match up:

Oilers vs Kings Head-to-Head Stats

We’d bet Edmonton to win in Round 1 once again, but not necessarily from a betting perspective. It’s true Edmonton has won six of the past seven meetings, but none of these can really be considered a blowout. Furthermore, the Kings have equaled or outshot the Oilers in six straight meetings.

Depending on where this betting line is sitting by Game 1, we may end up sprinkling on the Kings series moneyline. The public is going to look at recent history and project that the Oilers will cruise here, but the advanced metrics indicate this could be a much tighter series than the odds indicate.

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