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Breaking down the best value bets, futures to take and strategies to look out for ahead of the first round matchup between the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings
The Oilers and Kings battle for the fourth straight time in the first round. Edmonton has claimed all three series so far with LA desperately looking to get out of the shadow of their big brother. It's been a long time coming as the Oilers hold an all-time 36-18 playoff record with six straight series wins over the Kings dating back to 1989.
Things will most likely get heated after last year's first round matchup saw one game reach 92 penalty minutes as a flurry of brawls broke out in the third period after the Oilers went up 6-1 in Game three. LA looks like they'll have the best chance yet to get over the Edmonton hump after finishing with four more points and securing home ice advantage that could go far for a Kings team that has the best home record in the NHL at 31-6-4 through 41 games.
More NHL: The Battle of Ontario Betting Guide: Best Bets, Strategies and Futures for Maple Leafs versus Senators
It should make for a thrilling series with some of the best players in the world on display like Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Anze Kopitar. It should make for must-see tv and a series of games that any hockey fan won't want to miss. We want to add to your viewing enjoyment by providing a couple betting options that should enhance the viewing experience as you win some money along the way.
All betting lines are from FanDuel Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.
Edmonton has been plagued by injuries down the final stretch of the season with a 14-13-1 record over their last 28 games which places them behind the likes of the Sabres, Utah Hockey Club and Flames during that span. It's not great to enter the postseason playing worse than some non-playoff teams but the Oilers did manage to win seven of their last ten games with McDavid and Draisaitl battling injuries.
More NHL: Predicting Which Wild Card Team Can Upset Top Divisional Seed in the Stanley Cup Playoffs
Edmonton will also be without forward Evander Kane and possibly Zach Hyman, who is day-to-day with their biggest loss being key blueliner Mattias Ekholm. The Kings certainly don't have the same level of high-end talent that the Oilers have but LA has been playing as a cohesive unit for most of the season with almost no injuries.
The Kings have also handled the Oilers through their season series with a 3-1-0 record, a 12 to four goal ratio and netminder Darcy Kuemper earning back-to-back shutouts in the final two matchups. This series should feature many under games like most LA Kings games are and it should keep them in this series to the very end.
Under bets have been a regular for us and the Kings as they secured the second-best goals against average this season at 2.48 that improves to 1.98 when playing at home. This should keep almost every one of these games low-scoring with four of their last six Kings-Oilers matchups totalling under six goals.
I expect Kuemper to play the biggest role in this after going on a tear through his final 16 starts of the season with a league-best 13-3-0 record, a 1.27 goals against average and a .946 save percentage. The last time Kuemper was in the postseason was the 2022 Playoffs, where he helped lift the Colorado Avalanche to a Stanley Cup with a 10-4-0 record and a 2.57 goals against average. He should be a difference maker for this team but also don't count out the goaltender in the opposing crease.
Many Oiler fans having been doubting Stuart Skinner once again after finishing with a 2.81 goals against average but a .896 save percentage this season. If the Edmonton native can dial back in to what he accomplished last postseason, we should see almost all these games go under as Skinner finished with a 14-9 record and a 2.45 goals against average.
More NHL: Blues Enter Stanley Cup Playoffs As Dark Horse Contender
Continue reading...
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The Oilers and Kings battle for the fourth straight time in the first round. Edmonton has claimed all three series so far with LA desperately looking to get out of the shadow of their big brother. It's been a long time coming as the Oilers hold an all-time 36-18 playoff record with six straight series wins over the Kings dating back to 1989.
Things will most likely get heated after last year's first round matchup saw one game reach 92 penalty minutes as a flurry of brawls broke out in the third period after the Oilers went up 6-1 in Game three. LA looks like they'll have the best chance yet to get over the Edmonton hump after finishing with four more points and securing home ice advantage that could go far for a Kings team that has the best home record in the NHL at 31-6-4 through 41 games.
More NHL: The Battle of Ontario Betting Guide: Best Bets, Strategies and Futures for Maple Leafs versus Senators
It should make for a thrilling series with some of the best players in the world on display like Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Anze Kopitar. It should make for must-see tv and a series of games that any hockey fan won't want to miss. We want to add to your viewing enjoyment by providing a couple betting options that should enhance the viewing experience as you win some money along the way.
All betting lines are from FanDuel Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.
LA Kings +1.5 (-178)
Edmonton has been plagued by injuries down the final stretch of the season with a 14-13-1 record over their last 28 games which places them behind the likes of the Sabres, Utah Hockey Club and Flames during that span. It's not great to enter the postseason playing worse than some non-playoff teams but the Oilers did manage to win seven of their last ten games with McDavid and Draisaitl battling injuries.
More NHL: Predicting Which Wild Card Team Can Upset Top Divisional Seed in the Stanley Cup Playoffs
Edmonton will also be without forward Evander Kane and possibly Zach Hyman, who is day-to-day with their biggest loss being key blueliner Mattias Ekholm. The Kings certainly don't have the same level of high-end talent that the Oilers have but LA has been playing as a cohesive unit for most of the season with almost no injuries.
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Kuemper does his best HOLTBY impression Los Angeles Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper robs Seattle Kraken forward Jaden Schwartz with an unbelievable stick save reminiscent of Braden Holtby's miraculous s...The Kings have also handled the Oilers through their season series with a 3-1-0 record, a 12 to four goal ratio and netminder Darcy Kuemper earning back-to-back shutouts in the final two matchups. This series should feature many under games like most LA Kings games are and it should keep them in this series to the very end.
Betting Strategies: Rely On Elite Goaltending
Under bets have been a regular for us and the Kings as they secured the second-best goals against average this season at 2.48 that improves to 1.98 when playing at home. This should keep almost every one of these games low-scoring with four of their last six Kings-Oilers matchups totalling under six goals.
I expect Kuemper to play the biggest role in this after going on a tear through his final 16 starts of the season with a league-best 13-3-0 record, a 1.27 goals against average and a .946 save percentage. The last time Kuemper was in the postseason was the 2022 Playoffs, where he helped lift the Colorado Avalanche to a Stanley Cup with a 10-4-0 record and a 2.57 goals against average. He should be a difference maker for this team but also don't count out the goaltender in the opposing crease.
Many Oiler fans having been doubting Stuart Skinner once again after finishing with a 2.81 goals against average but a .896 save percentage this season. If the Edmonton native can dial back in to what he accomplished last postseason, we should see almost all these games go under as Skinner finished with a 14-9 record and a 2.45 goals against average.
More NHL: Blues Enter Stanley Cup Playoffs As Dark Horse Contender
Continue reading...
