The Los Angeles Kings (1-0) try to steal another game from the Edmonton Oilers (0-1) in Game 2 of their 1st-round Western Conference playoff series Wednesday. Puck drop from Rogers Place is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET (ESPN2). Below, we look at the Kings vs. Oilers odds and lines, and make our expert NHL picks, predictions and bets.
The Kings stole one in Game 1 as Oilers goalie Mike Smith tried to clear the puck from behind his net and turned it over, which led to the eventual winner. C Phillip Danault made it 4-3 with just over 5 minutes to go, and Edmonton couldn’t recover.
Edmonton studs C Connor McDavid and C Leon Draisaitl each scored a goal in Game 1 and will look to increase the wattage Wednesday. They combined for 8 shots on goal in the opener and you can look for them to respond to the body blow from Game 1 early in Game 2.
Kings at Oilers odds and lines
- Money line: Kings +165 (bet $100 to win $165) | Oilers -205 (bet $205 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Kings +1.5 (-160) | Oilers -1.5 (+125)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: -107 | U: -115)
Kings at Oilers projected goalies
Jonathan Quick (23-13-9, 2.59 GAA, .910 SV%, 2 SO – regular season) vs Mike Smith (16-9-2, 2.81 GAA, .915 SV%, 2 SO – regular season)
Quick was great in Game 1 as 2 of the 3 goals that got past him were on the power play. He stopped 10 of 12 shots on the PK, and nothing got past him in the final 30 minutes. Quick was on fire in April with a 6-1 record, 2.24 GAA and .915 SV%. He was 1-1-1 with a 2.29 GAA and .918 SV% against Edmonton in the regular season.
Smith had some good spots and some really bad ones in Game 1. He allowed a somewhat soft goal to LW Brendan Lemieux in the 2nd period before the horrible gaffe on the game winner. Smith is now 11-18 with a 2.40 GAA and .929 SV% in his playoff career. He’ll be on a short leash.
Money line
The Oilers only lost Game 1 because of shaky goaltending and a bad mistake that happens once in a blue moon. They held the Kings scoreless across 4 power plays, had more hits and took more shots.
The Kings are a young team that may be a year ahead of where they were projected, and the Oilers have bitter recent history to fuel them. We’re not putting -205 stock in them, though PASS.
Against the spread
Edmonton won the last 3 meetings of the series in the regular season, and 2 of them were by 1 goal. The 5-2 win in February came right after the Oilers fired their coach and went on a heater to right the ship. I don’t like the value of it, but LEAN KINGS +1.5 (-160). I prefer that side over an Oilers win by 2 or more markers.
Over/Under
The Under is 5-1-1 in the Kings’ last 7 playoff games as an underdog. The Over has hit in 3 of the last 4 meetings between these two sides, but I feel like this has to be a tighter game – particularly on Edmonton’s back end.
It’s not a great feel because these two teams have been anything but consistent, but we’ll LEAN UNDER 6.5 (-115).