by Rod Pearson
Friday, Apr 04, 2025
Game Time: 4:00 pm ET, Saturday, April 5, 2025
Venue: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Where to Watch: ESPN+
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Moneyline: Oilers +140, Kings -166; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
Bet365: Moneyline: Oilers +140, Kings -165; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
BetMGM: Moneyline: Oilers +140, Kings -165; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
Season Record
Edmonton Oilers: 44-26-5 (3rd place, Pacific Division)
Los Angeles Kings: 43-23-9 (2nd place, Pacific Division)
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Recent Form
Edmonton Oilers: 7-2-1 last 10
Los Angeles Kings: 7-3-0 last 10
Edmonton Oilers vs Los Angeles Kings Preview and Analysis
The Oilers are entering this game with 93 points, a 44-26-5 record overall, and they are 21-14-2 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the San Jose Sharks in their last game, winning that one on the road 3-2. Jeff Skinner, Viktor Arvidsson, and Connor Brown each scored 1 goal for them in that one. Evan Bouchard led the team in assists with 2 while Brett Kulak led the team in shots on net in that game with 7. Calvin Pickard was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 2 goals on 29 shots with 27 saves and a .931 save percentage. Their offense has scored 242 goals this season averaging 3.2 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 219 goals against them allowing 2.9 goals per game.
The Kings are entering this game with 95 points, a 43-23-9 record overall, and they are 28-4-4 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the Utah Hockey Club in their last game, winning that one on the road 4-2. Drew Doughty, Kevin Fiala, Adrian Kempe, and Trevor Moore each scored 1 goal for them in that one. Drew Doughty, Quinton Byfield, Phillip Danault, and Andrei Kuzmenko each led the team in assists with 1 while Kevin Fiala and Adrian Kempe each led the team in shots on net in that game with 3. Darcy Kuemper was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 2 goals on 30 shots with 28 saves and a .933 sv percentage. Their offense has scored 223 goals this season averaging 3 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 189 goals against them allowing 2.5 goals per game.
Oilers vs Kings Prediction
The current betting odds have the Kings listed as a favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Kings have looked good in their games this season with their 43-23-9 record overall which has them in 2nd place of their division in the West and in a playoff spot. They have also looked great on home ice this year with their 28-4-4 home record. Meanwhile, the Oilers have looked good in their games this season with their 44-26-5 record overall which has them in 3rd place of their division in the West and in a playoff spot. They have been a good road team too with their 21-14-2 road record. The Oilers have been starting to get hot again in their games lately, going 7-2-1 in their last 10 games and winning 3 games in a row now. They are coming off a tight win over the Sharks in their last one though and didn't looked great against the worst team in the league. The Kings have also been hot in their games lately though. The Kings are 7-3-0 in their last 10 games and they have been building some momentum now with 3 wins in a row. They also have one of the best home records in the entire NHL. This is a big game for both teams in the standings, neither team is at risk of losing their playoff spot, but as it stands, these two could face each other in the first round of the playoffs and this game could have big implications for home advantage. The Oilers are only 2 points behind the Kings so the Kings are going to bring their best effort to spread that gap, but they are also going to have some extra motivation since they are only 3 points behind the Golden Knights in 1st and can still win their division. Both teams have been rolling lately, but the Kings have been more consistent over the last month and the home advantage gives them the edge in this one. The best way to place a bet here is on the Kings to win this game.
Oilers Kings Prediction: Our NHL Pick for Saturday, April 5, 2025 (4:00 pm ET start time) is Kings 4 Oilers 1.
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NHL Betting Trends
Edmonton Oilers: 18-11 (+11.1 units) on the moneyline as a road underdog. 24-7 (+12 units) on the moneyline off a road win against a division rival. 52-25 (+19.7 units) on the moneyline against good starting goalies - saving 91.5% of shots against or more. 6-2 UNDER in a road game where the total is 5.5.
Los Angeles Kings: 135-113 (-7.4 units) on the moneyline in all games. 22-31 (-13.1 units) on the moneyline when playing against a marginal winning team (Win Pct. 51% to 60%). 71-72 (-7.8 units) on the moneyline against good offensive teams - averaging 29.5+ shots on goal per game. 27-10 UNDER after a 3 game winning streak.
Key Injuries
Edmonton Oilers: L. Draisaitl (C) Day To Day - Undisclosed. M. Ekholm (D) Out - Undisclosed. S. Skinner (G) Out - Head. J. Klingberg (D) Out - Lower Body. C. McDavid (C) Out - Lower Body. T. Frederic (C) Out - Lower Body. E. Kane (LW) Out - Knee. A. Regula (D) Out - Knee.
Los Angeles Kings: A. Turcotte (C) Day To Day - Upper Body. T. Jeannot (LW) Out - Undisclosed.
Notable Quotes
"No, I don't (have an update). I haven't seen our training staff yet. You never want to miss those guys. You never want your top players not to play because every time they're not in, it decreases your chances of winning because they are good players. What happens is other guys have some opportunities to play, get some confidence, hopefully score some goals, because we're going to need them." - Kris Knoblauch after his team’s win against the Sharks in their game on Thursday.
“He just made good saves and he's done that for us all year. We knew he was a good goalie and he was going to play well for us, but he's been our backbone all year. In wins like this, you just need your goaltender to let you get your legs underneath it, and he gave us every opportunity. Otherwise, it should have been over early, and we would not have been able to come back. Give him full marks.” - Jim Hiller after his team’s win against Utah in their game on Thursday.
Starting Lineups
Edmonton Oilers
LW Vasily Podkolzin
C Leon Draisaitl
RW Viktor Arvidsson
LD Jake Walman
RD Evan Bouchard
G Calvin Pickard
Los Angeles Kings
LW Andrei Kuzmenko
C Anze Kopitar
RW Adrian Kempe
LD Mikey Anderson
RD Drew Doughty
G Darcy Kuemper
Statistical Leaders
Edmonton Oilers
Points: L. Draisaitl (106)
Goals: L. Draisaitl (52)
Assists: C. McDavid (64)
GAA: C. Pickard (2.66)
Los Angeles Kings
Points: A. Kempe (63)
Goals: A. Kempe (33)
Assists: A. Kopitar (43)
GAA: D. Kuemper (2.08)
Coaches:
Edmonton Oilers: Kris Knoblauch (2nd season)
Los Angeles Kings: Jim Hiller (2nd season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
