The Oilers skate into Tuesday night as one of the hottest teams in hockey, gathering 13 wins in their last 16 games while shooting the lights out. The Kings, who have been almost equally as good, are 13-4-0 over their last 17 outings and are picking up wins by virtue of their elite defense.
Can Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl power Edmonton to a fifth straight victory, or will a stingy Los Angeles defense slow them down? Read our Oilers vs Kings NHL picks and predictions for Tuesday, April 4 and find out.
Oilers vs Kings best odds
Oilers vs Kings picks and predictions
The Oilers come into tonight’s game on a 10-game point streak, with nine wins during that run. Edmonton is averaging an impressive 4.80 GPG over that span. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have led the way, of course, with 22 and 19 points, respectively, since the streak began on March 14.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has also been on a tear during the run, with his 17 points rounding out the Top 3 on the NHL’s leaderboard since mid-March.
The Kings have been nearly as dominant as the Oilers over the last month or so, but have found success in a very different way. While Edmonton has been filling opposition nets at will, Los Angeles is playing excellent defense and giving up just 1.93 GAPG since the start of March — the top mark in the league over that span. The Oilers, as you might’ve suspected, rank first in GPG over that stretch at 4.63.
Los Angeles has also received some strong goaltending from both netminders. Joonas Korpisalo, in particular, has been incredible since joining the Kings, posting a .934 SV% and 1.86 GAA in March. Meanwhile, Pheonix Copley recorded a .902 SV% and a 2.31 GAA while going 5-0-1 in his six appearances.
Los Angeles has been nearly impenetrable, but do the Kings have enough to slow down the Oilers stars? I would argue not.
McDavid is sitting on 62 goals, three shy of Alex Ovechkin’s 65-goal mark in 2007-08 for the highest total among all active skaters. The Oilers captain has found the back of the net in seven of his last 11 outings, which includes a goal against the Kings just last week.
The Kings may play the Oilers tight, but I don’t foresee them slowing down a motivated McDavid.
My best bet: McDavid to score a goal (-116 at FanDuel)
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Oilers vs Kings moneyline analysis
The Oilers come into tonight’s game as the -120 road favorite, though they historically haven’t had much success at Crypto.com Arena. The Kings have come out on top in 19 of the last 26 meetings at home, and have won two of the last three matchups against the Oilers overall.
This game will likely come down to which club can control the pace of the game — Edmonton will likely want to open it up and create a back-and-forth shootout with plenty of power plays, while Los Angeles would prefer a tight-checking affair so as to not give McDavid & Co. too much room.
One area where the Kings do have a clear edge is at 5-on-5, where they’ve been the top team in the NHL since the start of March. Los Angeles is outscoring opponents 35-15 with 10 men on the ice — a goals for percentage (GF%) of 70%, which is the best mark in the league during that stretch.
The Kings are also boasting an expected goals percentage of 57% since March 1, which puts them sixth in the NHL — a clear sign that they’ve been dominating the flow of play.
Edmonton has been solid at 5-on-5 as well, outscoring opponents 46-35 for a 57% GF%, but nowhere near as exceptional as Los Angeles.
That said, the key for the Kings will be to keep the game at even strength as much as possible to limit the Oilers’ top-ranked power play. If Los Angeles can do that, I like their chances as the home underdog.
Oilers vs Kings Over/Under analysis
Tonight’s total opened at 6.5 goals, with the books holding steady through Monday night.
When you look at either team, you basically see the exact opposite trend — the Over is 4-2-2 in the Oilers’ last eight games, while the Under is 4-0 in the Kings’ last four.
Seven of Edmonton’s last 11 games have featured seven or more goals, while Los Angeles has seen seven goals just twice in its last nine outings.
The head-to-head history suggests a slight edge towards the Under, as the Oilers and Kings have combined for seven or more goals in just three of their last nine meetings, and once in the last five.
Edmonton has obviously been exceptional and fun to watch, but I think Los Angeles may not be getting enough credit for their improved defensive play and goaltending over the last month.
The Kings have allowed just 15 goals (excluding shootouts) over their last seven home games, and I think having last change and the ability to get their desired matchups may just help them keep the score down tonight.
Oilers vs Kings betting trend to know
The Over is 12-5-2 in the last 19 meetings in Los Angeles. Find more NHL betting trends for Oilers vs Kings.
Oilers vs Kings game info
| Location: | Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA |
| Date: | Tuesday, April 4, 2023 |
| Puck drop: | 10:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ESPN |
Oilers vs Kings key injuries
