The Los Angeles Kings will matchup with the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the NHL Playoffs, with Game 1 set to take place on Monday night.
The series will serve as a rematch of last year’s first round series when the Oilers got past the Kings in Game 7.
Will we see history repeat itself?
Let’s take a look at the betting odds for Game 1 and then I’ll give you my best bet.
Kings vs. Oilers odds, puck line, and total
Kings vs. Oilers prediction and pick
The Kings are my upset pick of the night. I’m not going to argue that the Oilers shouldn’t be favored, but I think their highly overvalued in this first round matchup against the Kings.
The two teams are similar in a lot of areas, both ranking inside the top 10 in CORSI%, FENWICK%, and expected goals percentage. In fact, the Kings actually outrank them 5th vs. 7th in FENWICK%.
Los Angeles has also been a fantastic defensive team of late, ranking fourth in expected goals against over its last 25 games. If there’s one team in the Western Conference that can shut down the Oilers potent offense, it’s the Kings.
Let’s also remember the Kings upset the Oilers in Game 1 of their exciting series last year.
They’re live underdogs tonight.
–
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.