Our NHL betting picks like the Oilers' Connor McDavid and the Kings' Adrian Kempe to generate only a modicum of offense in what will otherwise be a tightly-played contest with a postseason atmosphere tonight.
NHL
The Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings will give us a playoff preview Monday night in a high-stakes divisional matchup.
Edmonton keeps their chances of earning home ice alive with a win while Los Angeles can get a firm grip on No. 2 seed in the Pacific if they’re able to take care of business.
My Kings vs. Oilers predictions expect a competitive, low-scoring game with so much riding on this contest.
Let’s further break down my NHL picks for April 14.
My Oilers pick: Under 6 (-140 at BET99)
My Oilers analysis
The Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers have played things close to the vest in their head-to-head matchups this season. Just 11 goals were scored over the first three meetings, and only once did either side touch 30 shots. Offense has been very hard to come by.
There’s not much reason to expect anything different this time. Both the Kings and Oilers have defended very well this season, ranking second and ninth, respectively, in shots allowed per game.
Their strong shot suppression metrics have helped limit the goals and resulted in plenty of low-scoring affairs. The proof is in the pudding as Los Angeles owns a 31-45-3 O/U record while Edmonton comes in at 35-44-1.
Each team enters play in strong defensive form as well. The Kings have conceded two goals or fewer in six of the last seven while the Oilers have allowed three or less in eight consecutive games.
Los Angeles’ bread-and-butter is sucking the life out of opposing offenses. That will no doubt be the goal going up against the league’s most dynamic player in Connor McDavid.
Conversely, the Oilers are dealing with a lot of injuries right now and plenty of scoring punch is missing from their lineup. Naturally, this has led to a more conservative style of game where they put a premium on keeping things bottled up. That will surely be the plan in a high-stakes divisional game they’re playing in a back-to-back situation.
Don’t expect offensive fireworks in this playoff preview between a pair of strong defensive teams very familiar with one another.
Under 6
Connor McDavid Over 2.5 shots on goal
Adrian Kempe Over 2.5 shots on goal
The Kings are a difficult team to generate shots against but McDavid has seemingly cracked the code. He has generated consistently strong volume against them in recent years, especially on home soil.
McDavid has produced three shots or more in 13 of the past 17 home games against the Kings, averaging 3.7 shots on target along the way.
With Edmonton missing several key players, even more of the load will fall onto the plate of the captain.
Going the other way, Adrian Kempe is most likely to generate volume for the Kings. He has averaged — yes, averaged — 4.6 shots on goal against Edmonton over the past few seasons.
He has faced the Oilers 33 times along the way, recording three shots or more in 29 of them (88%). Insanity.
The Kings are able to secure home ice with a win, so they’ll be leaning heavily on Kempe and the top line to lead the charge.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
Bet on the NHL at BET99!
One of Canada’s best sportsbooks for hockey betting, join BET99 and get up to $1,500 bonus bets back if your first bet doesn’t win when using our BET99 promo code COVERSBONUS!
*Not available in Ontario. 19+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Odds courtesy of BET99
The Kings have hit the Under in 47 of their last 86 games (+6.30 Units / 6% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Oilers vs. Kings.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Todd Cordell is a data-driven betting analyst. He uses numbers to help identify value across a wide variety of sports, with NHL being his specialty. Shot props, in particular, have proven to be a very fruitful market. Todd has served as a betting analyst in the public sphere for many years, most recently with theScore covering the NHL and MLB.
When not writing about sports betting, Todd stays busy analyzing the New Jersey Devils with a fine-tooth comb for InfernalAccess, his Devils-centric blog. Todd attended Sheridan College and graduated in 2014 with a diploma in print journalism.
If you choose to make use of any information on this website including online sports betting services from any websites that may be featured on this website, we strongly recommend that you carefully check your local laws before doing so.It is your sole responsibility to understand your local laws and observe them strictly.Covers does not provide any advice or guidance as to the legality of online sports betting or other online gambling activities within your jurisdiction and you are responsible for complying with laws that are applicable to you in your relevant locality.Covers disclaims all liability associated with your use of this website and use of any information contained on it.As a condition of using this website, you agree to hold the owner of this website harmless from any claims arising from your use of any services on any third party website that may be featured by Covers.