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- The Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings meet in the first round of the NHL Playoffs for the third year in a row.
- Edmonton defeated Los Angeles in seven games in 2022. In 2023, the Oilers dispatched the Kings in six games.
- The Oilers finished the 2024 NHL regular season with 104 points. The Kings posted 99 points in 2024.
Two of the top three teams in the NHL’s Pacific Division meet in the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs when the Edmonton Oilers face the Los Angeles Kings. The Oilers finished the 2024 regular season in second place in the division with a record of 49-27-6. The Kings were the No. 3 team in the Pacific, wrapping up the season at 44-27-11. Edmonton had a home record of 28-9-4 and a road mark of 21-18-2. The Kings went 22-12-7 on home ice and 22-15-4 on the road.
While the Oilers and Kings are familiar with each other in the playoffs, this year marks the first time the coaches have faced off in the postseason, as both teams made changes behind the bench during the 2024 regular season. Kris Knoblauch replaced Jay Woodcroft in Edmonton in early November, while Jim Hiller took Todd McLellan’s spot in early February.
Before we look at the first-round matchup of the 2024 NHL Western Conference playoffs between the Edmonton Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings, check out our guide to betting on the 2024 NHL Playoffs and our tips for betting on the NHL.
Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings betting picks for NHL Western Conference Playoff Series – first round
| Teams |  |  |  |  |
| Los Angeles Kings | +171 | +170 | +170 | +156 |
| Edmonton Oilers | -196 | -200 | -200 | -194 |
Edmonton Oilers betting breakdown
The Edmonton Oilers were one of the highest-scoring teams in the Western Conference during the 2024 NHL regular season, putting the puck in the net 294 times while giving up 237 goals for a goal differential of plus 57. The Oilers averaged 3.56 goals per game (fourth in the NHL) while allowing 2.88 goals per outing (10th fewest in the league). Edmonton had the best power play in the Western Conference at 26.3 percent. Meanwhile, the club’s penalty kill stood at 79.5 percent. No team in the league took more shots per game than the Oilers (33.8). The team allowed the fifth-fewest shots on goal per game with 28.1.
The Oilers will go as Connor McDavid goes. McDavid has won the Art Ross Trophy winner as the NHL’s leading scorer five times and picked up the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP three times. He led the Oilers in points in 2024 with 132, and he was tied for the league lead in assists with 100. McDavid was a force in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, scoring 20 points (8 goals, 12 assists) in 12 games. A player often mentioned in the same breath as McDavid is Leon Draisaitl, who had 18 points (13G, 5A) in last year’s postseason. He is also someone to watch on offense.
Stuart Skinner will get the nod in goal for the Oilers. He went 36-16-5 with a 2.62 goals against average and .905 save percentage in 59 games in 2024, starting in net 57 times. Skinner played every game in net for the Oilers last year, with a 5-6 record, a 3.68 GAA, and a .883 SV%. Skinner needs to improve on those numbers in 2024.
Los Angeles Kings betting breakdown
The Los Angeles Kings were in the middle of the Western Conference in goal scoring in 2024, putting the puck in the net 256 times. On the defensive side of the ice, the Kings allowed the second-fewest goals in the West with 215. The team’s goal differential was a respectable plus-41. The Kings averaged 3.10 goals per game during the regular season, which was 17th in the NHL. However, the team was third in the league in fewest goals allowed per game with 2.56. Los Angeles connected on 22.6 of their power play opportunities. The club had the top penalty kill in the Western Conference at 84.6 percent. The Kings averaged 31.9 shots on goal in 2024. The team allowed the fewest shots on goal in the Western Conference at 28.0.
Anze Kopitar might not be the team’s leading scorer, but the 36-year-old is the team leader. A two-time Stanley Cup Winner with the Kings (2012 and 2014), Kopitar is in his 18th year in the league. He finished the 2024 regular season with 70 points (26G, 44A). Kopitar is third all-time in playoff scoring for the Kings with 77 points (24G, 53A). Only Wayne Gretzky and Luc Robitaille have more playoff points than Kopitar
Cam Talbot joined the Los Angeles Kings in 2024. The veteran goalie had one of the best years of his career this season, posting his best goals against average (2.50) since he played for the Oilers in 2017. Talbot’s save percentage was .913 this year. He put up a 27-20-6 record in 54 games (52 starts) in 2024. Talbot last saw playoff action in 2022 when he played one game in the postseason for the Minnesota Wild.
Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings regular season series 2024
The Oilers won three of four meetings against the Kings during the 2024 NHL regular season, beating them 3-2 in a shootout in December, 4-2 in February, and 4-1 in March. The Kings’ victory came in February with David Rittich in net.
The Kings limited the Oilers to less than 30 shots in three games (26×2, 20), while picking up more than 30 shots in two games (40 and 32).
Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings playoff schedule
- Monday, April 22 | 10 p.m. | at EDM | ESPN2 – Game 1
- Wednesday, April 24 | 10 p.m. | at EDM | TBS – Game 2
- Friday, April 26 | 10:30 p.m. | at LA | TBS – Game 3
- Sunday, April 28 | 10:30 p.m. | at LA | TBS, truTV – Game 4
- Wednesday, May 1 | TBD | at EDM | TBD – Game 5*
- Friday, May 3 | TBD | at LA | TBD – Game 6*
- Sunday, May 5 | TBD | at EDM | TBD – Game 7*
*If needed
Best bets for the Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings playoff series
The Kings are a strong defensive team, but the Oilers’ offense is just too potent for them. The betting pick is for the Edmonton Oilers to beat the Los Angeles Kings in six games in the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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