by Rod Pearson
Friday, Apr 18, 2025
Game Time: 10:00 pm ET, Monday, April 21, 2025
Venue: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Where to Watch: ESPN2
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Moneyline: Oilers -105, Kings -115; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
Bet365: Moneyline: Oilers -105, Kings -115; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
BetMGM: Moneyline: Oilers -105, Kings -115; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
Season Record
Edmonton Oilers: 48-29-5 (3rd place, Pacific Division)
Los Angeles Kings: 48-25-9 (2nd place, Pacific Division)
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Edmonton Oilers: 7-3-0 last 10
Los Angeles Kings: 8-2-0 last 10
Edmonton Oilers vs Los Angeles Kings Preview and Analysis
The Oilers are entering the playoffs with 101 points, a 48-29-5 record overall, and they were 23-16-2 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the San Jose Sharks in their last game, winning that one on the road 3-0. Ty Emberson, Max Jones, and Corey Perry each scored 1 goal for them in that one. Ty Emberson, Adam Henrique, Kasperi Kapanen, Connor McDavid, and Jeff Skinner each led the team in assists with 1 while Corey Perry and Cam Dineen each led the team in shots on net in that game with 4. Stuart Skinner was the starting goalie in that game and he recorded the shutout as he allowed 0 goals on 18 shots with 18 saves and a 1.000 save percentage. Their offense has scored 259 goals this season averaging 3.2 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 236 goals against them allowing 2.9 goals per game.
The Kings are entering the playoffs with 105 points, a 48-25-9 record overall, and they were 31-6-4 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the Calgary Flames in their last game, losing that one at home 5-1. Taylor Ward scored 1 goal for them in that one. Brandt Clarke and Jordan Spence each led the team in assists with 1 while Kevin Fiala led the team in shots on net in that game with 5. David Rittich was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 5 goals on 29 shots with 24 saves and a .828 sv percentage. Their offense has scored 250 goals this season averaging 3 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 206 goals against them allowing 2.5 goals per game.
Oilers vs Kings Prediction
The current betting odds have the Kings listed as a slight favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. This is game 1 of a 7 game series between the 2nd seeded Kings and the 3rd seeded Oilers from the Pacific Division for the 1st round of the NHL playoffs. The Kings have looked great in their games this season and they have one of the best home records in the NHL. Meanwhile, the Oilers have also looked good in their games this season, but they haven't looked great over the last few weeks. They have been a good road team this year with a winning road record, but they haven't been at their best in those games as they are a better home team. The Oilers looked like one of the best teams in the NHL back in January and they were one of the hottest teams in the league, but they haven't been the same team since coming back from the 4 Nations Faceoff. They had a ton of momentum going into that tournament, but their players ended up getting banged up and they came out of the break in a huge slump. They have looked a lot better to end the regular season, but this isn't going to be an easy series for them. This will be the 4th straight year that these two meet in the playoffs and the Oilers have gotten the better of the Kings every time, but this is a much better Kings team and the home advantage is going to be huge for them. These two met a week ago and the Kings came to play in that game in Edmonton to secure home advantage in this series as they knew it would be very important. The Kings have been a lot better on home ice all season, not only have they won a majority of their games at home, but they do not give up many goals in those games either. This series has years of built up tension for the Kings and they are going to bring their best effort in this first game at home to set the tone for this series. The best way to place a bet here is on the Kings to win this game.
Oilers Kings Prediction: Our NHL Pick for Monday, April 21, 2025 (10:00 pm ET start time) is Kings 4 Oilers 1.
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NHL Betting Trends
Edmonton Oilers: 18-12 (+10.1 units) on the moneyline as a road underdog of +100 to +200. 24-8 (+11 units) on the moneyline off a road win against a division rival. 40-16 (+11.5 units) on the moneyline after allowing 1 goal or less in their previous game. 7-2 UNDER in a road game where where the total is 5.5.
Los Angeles Kings: 98-63 (-6 units) on the moneyline as a favorite. 25-31 (-10.1 units) on the moneyline when playing against a marginal winning team (Win Pct. 51% to 60%). 119-97 (-10.8 units) on the moneyline against poor power play killing teams - opp score on over 17.5% of chances. 11-3 UNDER after a blowout loss by 4 goals or more in their previous game.
Key Injuries
Edmonton Oilers: T. Stecher (D) Day To Day - Undisclosed. Z. Hyman (LW) Day To Day - Undisclosed. J. Walman (D) Day To Day - Undisclosed. L. Draisaitl (C) Day To Day - Undisclosed. M. Ekholm (D) Out - Undisclosed. T. Frederic (C) Day To Day - Ankle. J. Klingberg (D) Out - Lower Body. E. Kane (LW) Out - Knee. A. Regula (D) Out - Knee.
Los Angeles Kings: Q. Byfield (RW) Day To Day - Upper-body. J. Edmundson (D) Day To Day - Upper Body. T. Jeannot (LW) Out - Undisclosed.
Notable Quotes
"We definitely would like better health, and we look like we are getting close to that. The majority of the guys are gonna be ready for Game 1." - Kris Knoblauch after his team’s win against the Sharks in their regular season finale.
“That was the positive take out of the night, for sure. We’re all really happy for him. I thought he played really well. He had other chances, we saw that. He was around the puck. Despite getting the goal, I thought overall, I thought he impressed. His overall game was good." - Jim Hiller after his team’s loss against the Flames in their regular season finale.
Starting Lineups
Edmonton Oilers
LW Jeff Skinner
C Connor McDavid
RW Zach Hyman
LD Jake Walman
RD Evan Bouchard
G Stuart Skinner
Los Angeles Kings
LW Warren Foegele
C Anze Kopitar
RW Andrei Kuzmenko
LD Mikey Anderson
RD Drew Doughty
G Darcy Kuemper
Statistical Leaders
Edmonton Oilers
Points: L. Draisaitl (106)
Goals: L. Draisaitl (52)
Assists: C. McDavid (74)
GAA: C. Pickard (2.71)
Los Angeles Kings
Points: A. Kempe (73)
Goals: A. Kempe (35)
Assists: A. Kopitar (46)
GAA: D. Kuemper (2.02)
Coaches:
Edmonton Oilers: Kris Knoblauch (2nd season)
Los Angeles Kings: Jim Hiller (2nd season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
