The Los Angeles Kings (2-2) and Edmonton Oilers (2-2) face off Tuesday in Game 5 of their 1st-round Western Conference playoff series. Puck drop from Rogers Place is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET (ESPN2). Below, we look at the Kings vs. Oilers Game 5 odds and lines, and make our expert NHL picks, predictions and bets.
The Kings responded to a Game 3 defeat with a 4-0 shutout to even the series in Game 4 Sunday. This series has gone back and forth with laughers after a tight Game 1 that Edmonton literally gave away on a bad turnover.
Kings RW Carl Grundstrom emerged with 2 goals and an assist in Game 4. He has just 36 points in 129 career regular-season games. G Jonathan Quick was dominant stopping all 31 shots.
Oilers stud C Connor McDavid was kept in check after he had 2 points in each of the first 3 games of the series. C Leon Draisaitl was held scoreless after a goal in each of the first 3 games.
The Oilers were 0-for-3 on the power play, and they were outshot 46-to-31. Now they return home with a chance to refocus. They responded to throwing away Game 1 by winning the next two games 14-2. They’ll be ready.
Kings at Oilers odds and lines
- Money line: Kings +175 (bet $100 to win $175) | Oilers -220 (bet $220 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Kings +1.5 (-140) | Oilers -1.5 (+112)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: -105 | U: -120)
Kings at Oilers projected goalies
Jonathan Quick (23-13-9, 2.59 GAA, .910 SV%, 2 SO – regular season) vs. Mike Smith (16-9-1, 2.81 GAA, .915 SV%, 2 SO – regular season)
Quick has been feast or famine in this series. He is coming off a 31-save masterpiece in Game 4. At one point, he even lost his glove and was attempting to make saves with his bare hand. Before that, though, he allowed 10 goals in two games and didn’t finish Game 3. He has an .894 SV% in the series.
Smith has been pretty steady – it’s his offense that has been inconsistent. Smith has a 2.27 GAA and a .942 SV% in the series. The Kings have been relentless as he has faced 46 and 45 shots in the last two games. The Oilers’ blue line will need to step up as fatigue could set in seeing so many fired at him.
Money line
The Oilers return home, where they’ve outscored LA 9-4, despite losing Game 1 on a misplay behind the net. We’re definitely siding with the Oilers here, but not at the -220 price tag PASS.
Against the spread
The Kings are playing with two starting defensemen out for the season. The Oilers had an off night Sunday in LA. Maybe they didn’t use Saturday wisely, but we could see them record 5 or 6 goals tonight. We’ll take the OILERS -1.5 (+112).
Over/Under
The Over has hit twice in this series, and the two occasions it didn’t hit were because a team got shut out. We expect Edmonton to respond offensively, and their goalie has seen nearly 100 shots in the last two games and at that rate a couple are bound to go in.
LEAN OVER 6.5 (-105) or place a live bet when the Over drops to 5.5. Neither side has scored within the first 3 minutes of any game in this series, and that might work to your advantage.