Leave it to the Edmonton Oilers to stage a dramatic third-period comeback, scoring a shorthanded goal and tying things up in the final few minutes of regulation, only to lose moments into overtime. They’ll have to regroup in a hurry as they are back on the ice Thursday against the Los Angeles Kings, with Game 6 scheduled to go at the Crypto.com Arena.
NHL playoff odds have the Kings as -175 to win the series.
Below are some NHL betting picks and analysis for Thursday’s matchup.
Oilers vs. Kings Odds, Moneyline, Over/Under
Moneyline: Oilers -150 | Kings +125
Spread: Oilers -1.5 (+170) | Kings +1.5 (-200)
Total: 6.5 Over -105 | Under -115
Oilers vs. Kings Analysis
Through the first five games of the series, the Oilers have out-chanced the Kings in high-danger opportunities just twice in five games and just once in overall scoring chances. What’s driving LA’s success in their own end is their ability to fill the shooting lanes and prevent the Oilers from directing opportunities on target.
That’s not to diminish the play of Jonathan Quick, who has been outstanding so far this postseason. Although Quick’s standard metrics have been suboptimal, the veteran netminder has come up with a few clutch saves at crucial moments, preventing the Oilers from gaining any offensive momentum.
That was plainly evident over the final few minutes of Tuesday night’s overtime victory. Quick weathered the Oilers storm, as he helped the Kings secure the series lead.
Offensively, LA has shown that they can hang with the Oilers.
The Kings have attempted 28 high-danger and 66 scoring opportunities over the past two games, equalling or eclipsing the Oilers in both contests. Los Angeles is a high-volume team and their system continues to serve them well in this Western Conference Quarterfinal, outplaying Edmonton at their own game.
The Oilers are being dominated on both ends of the ice, reinforcing their typecast that they are unable to adapt in the postseason. LA’s best chance at moving on to the next round comes with a win on home ice in Game 6. The betting market may not be sold on the Kings, but I am not passing up the implied advantage on the moneyline.
Oilers vs. Kings Predictions
The Pick: Kings +125
NHL Parlay Picks at BetMGM
BetMGM has you covered not only during the Stanley Cup playoffs, but throughout the NHL season. But the NHL playoffs are the perfect time for making NHL parlay picks in between examining the latest Stanley Cup betting odds.
