The Los Angeles Kings were one of the most disappointing teams in the NHL last season and the Edmonton Oilers probably are the most disappointing this year. The two Pacific Division rivals meet in L.A. on Wednesday in a game the desperate Oilers need much more. Who will be favored in the NHL odds?
Oilers at LA Kings NHL Odds & Betting Pick – February 7th
When: Wednesday, 10:30 PM ET Where: Staples Center, LA TV: NHL Center Ice, RSNW, FSWHD Radio: 630 AM (Edmonton) / KABC 790 (LA) Opening NHL Odds: Kings -127, Oilers +115 (5.5)Still not over @cmcdavid97‘s Monday night performance. #NHLTonight @EdmontonOilers pic.twitter.com/I9FtDwqXMw
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) February 7, 2018
Season Series
Seems impossible these Pacific Division rivals would have met just once this deep into the season, but it’s true. On Jan. 2 in Edmonton, the Kings won 5-0. Marian Gaborik, Dustin Brown and Adrian Kemp scored during a five-minute power play, and Jonathan Quick made 32 saves. The Kings got the power play after Oilers forward Patrick Maroon was given a major penalty for a hit to the head on Kings defenseman Drew Doughty late in the second period. Brown added another goal with 1:32 remaining to cap the scoring. Andy Andreoff scored late in the second period for the Kings. Cam Talbot stopped 28 shots for Edmonton.Why Bet on Edmonton?
The Oilers are starting to finally play to preseason expectations and can get to .500 with a win here. They haven’t been at .500 since a 1-1-0 start. Edmonton comes off an impressive 6-2 win Monday at home over the best team in hockey, Tampa Bay. Connor McDavid was amazing with four goals and an assist. He was the third player to score four goals in a game this season and now has 21 goals and 41 assists with 11 power-play points. It was the first-ever hat trick by an Oilers player against the Lightning organization. It was the third hat trick of his NHL career and second this season. McDavid, whose other hat trick this season came in Edmonton’s 3-0 win over the Flames on opening night, is the first Oilers player to produce multiple hat tricks in one season since Ryan Smyth had two in 2000-01. McDavid’s four-goal game was just the third in the last 25 seasons by an Oilers player. The last two four-goal games by Oilers players were produced by Alexander Selivanov at Chicago on Nov. 14, 1999 and by Sam Gagner in Edmonton’s 8-4 win over the Blackhawks on Feb. 2, 2012, in which Gagner had a hand in all eight of the Oilers’ goals (scored four and assisted four). Leon Draisaitl posted a power-play goal, two assists and a plus-3 rating while chipping in with three blocked shots. Draisaitl has back-to-back multi-point games, posting a goal and five points with a plus-4 rating since returning from the All-Star break. Ryan Strome picked up a pair of power-play assists. Strome went scoreless in 11 consecutive outings from Dec. 29-Jan. 23, but he has pieced together a three-game point run with five assists. Talbot allowed two goals on 33 shots. He is now 19-17-2 with a 3.10 goals-against average and .902 save percentage on the season. He should be back in there Wednesday.Team Statistics
Offense- Goals: 2.82
- Shots: 34.18
- PP/PK Percentage: 15.22
- Goals: 3.20
- Shots: 30.84
- PP/PK Percentage: 28.40
Why Bet on LA Kings?
Since that 5-0 win over the Oilers, the Kings have won just four times. But they come off a 6-0 home win over Arizona on Saturday. Jake Muzzin scored a goal and picked up two assists. Muzzin picked up a power play goal, an assist on a shorthanded goal and another assist at even-strength. The 28-year-old blueliner now has six goals and 32 points in 49 games this season. Anze Kopitar scored his 20th of the season and added an assist. It has been a comeback season for the center, who has 55 points in 52 games this season after only 12 goals and 52 points in 76 games last year. Kopitar has 15 points in his last 13 games. Trevor Lewis set a career high in goals with his 13th of the season in the win. “Sometimes, with guys out, you get a little more opportunity,” said head coach John Stevens. “Jeff (Carter) has been out all year, and now Adrian [Kempe’s] got, I think, 15 goals now. When we get Jeff back in our lineup, those guys, [Lewis included], will become our secondary scoring. The opportunities on the power play may not be there as often.” Darcy Kuemper stopped all 27 shots he faced. The Kings elected to go with Kuemper with Quick struggling in his last start. Kuemper responded with one of his best games of the year and he will improve his record to 8-1-3 with a 1.76 goals-against-average and .943 save percentage. The Kings are hoping to get back defenseman Alex Martinez here. Martinez sustained a lower-body injury last Thursday night and didn’t play vs. Arizona but the team says he’s just day-to-day. It probably will be Quick in net.Team Statistics
Offense- Goals: 2.85
- Shots: 30.67
- PP/PK Percentage: 19.21
- Goals: 2.42
- Shots: 31.25
- PP/PK Percentage: 14.53
