Los Angeles Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers Pick and Prediction – April 24, 2024

LOS ANGELES KINGS VS. EDMONTON OILERS EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTION – April 24, 2024 — If the Kings can’t stop Edmonton from scoring, this series isn’t going to last very long. The Oilers picked up exactly where they left off in the regular season, lighting the lamp seven times to earn their fourth straight playoff win over Los Angeles.

The Kings have now dropped six straight at Rogers Place, including their past four playoff games in Edmonton. Each time, the Oilers scored at least four, a fitting tally for one of the highest-scoring teams in the NHL.

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Los Angeles has been far more defensive-minded this season. Adrian Kempe led the Kings this year with 77 points, which would have ranked tied for fourth on Edmonton. The Kings simply can’t try to outscore a lineup that includes Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Their only real hope is to slow down the Oil, which didn’t come close to working in Game 1. McDavid assisted on five of Edmonton’s seven goals, and Los Angeles isn’t going anywhere if they don’t get a handle on No. 97.

The Odds

Puck Drop

When: Wednesday, April 24 at 10 p.m. EST

Where: Rogers Place, Edmonton, Alberta

TV: ESPN

Public Bets: 82% on Edmonton

Public Money: 92% on Edmonton

Odds courtesy of DraftKings, as of April 24th, 2024

Los Angeles Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers In-Season Trends

Surprisingly, the under has actually cashed in four of the past five meetings, including all four matchups in the regular season. Edmonton isn’t just an offense-heavy team; the Oilers are just really good on that side of the puck. Most nights, Edmonton holds their opponent to three goals or less, and it’s done that in four of seven against Los Angeles.

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The Kings tend to put a fair amount of pucks on net, but they haven’t been converting their shots. The under cashed in five of the Kings’ final seven games of the regular season, and Los Angeles only managed to exceed three goals three times in that stretch. When the defense is up to par, that’s fine, but it’s hard to keep the Oilers under control.

Players to Watch

Connor McDavid on his own is scary enough. If Leon Draisaitl also gets rolling, this series is over. Draisaitl wasn’t exactly quiet in Game 1 either, as he scored a goal and an assist. His production simply paled in comparison to McDavid’s five assists and Zach Hyman’s hat trick. Draisaitl averaged 1.5 points per game last year in the playoffs, and Los Angeles knows all too well just how dangerous he can be.

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Kempe managed a goal and an assist, but he needs some help. Anze Kopitar went scoreless, his eighth straight game without a goal and fourth in five without getting on the stat sheet. There’s no way that Kempe can win this series on his own; Los Angeles has to find some secondary scoring.

The Pick

Edmonton has talked all year about this being a Cup or bust year, and the Oilers looked the part in Game 1. The Oil simply have far too many weapons for the Kings to deal with, as long as they’re handling their business.

Los Angeles has a fine defensive team, but that only carries you so far when you’ve got to play against a team with Edmonton’s capabilities. The Kings don’t look like they can handle this matchup, and certainly not in Edmonton. This looks like an easy 2-0 lead for the Oil.