The scene shifts to Los Angeles on Friday night as the Edmonton Oilers and Kings continue their best-of-seven series deadlocked at a game apiece.
Edmonton levelled the Western Conference quarterfinal series on Wednesday night after skating to a 4-2 victory. Klim Kostin, who broke a 2-2 tie early in the third period with a wrister from the circle, was the unlikely hero for the Oilers in the win. Evander Kane added an empty-net goal late in the period to seal the victory.
The Oilers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first period, but they coughed up their third two-goal lead of the series after Los Angeles responded with a pair of goals in the second period.
Edmonton is a -150 road favourite in this one with the total set at 6.5 goals.
Canada Sports Betting will be providing comprehensive betting previews for each weekday game of this series, so check back over the next several days for all of the latest odds information and news.
| Kings Moneyline Odds | +130 |
| Oilers Moneyline Odds | -150 |
| Series odds | Oilers (-275), Kings (+225) |
| Over/Under | 6.5 goals (over +100, under -120) |
| Time/Date | Friday, April 21, 10:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | Broadcast: Sportsnet, CBC |
All odds courtesy of 
Previous matchups
These two teams have split the six meetings between them this season with both teams notching 16 goals each against other. Edmonton has been favoured in five of the six matchups to this point and the teams have combined for a 2-4 over/under record in those contests.
| Date | Home Team | Moneyline Odds | Result | Total |
| Nov. 16 | Edmonton | EDM -139, LA +126 | 3-1 Kings | 6.5 (under) |
| Jan. 9 | Los Angeles | EDM -103, LA -107 | 6-3 Kings | 6.5 (over) |
| March 30 | Edmonton | EDM -177, LA +158 | 2-0 Oilers | 6.5 (under) |
| April 4 | Los Angeles | EDM -137, LA +124 | 3-1 Oilers | 6.5 (under) |
| April 17 (Game 1) | Edmonton | EDM -219, LA +194 | 4-3 Kings (OT) | 6.5 (over) |
| April 19 (Game 2) | Edmonton | EDM -224, LA +198 | 4-2 Oilers | 6.5 (under) |
About the Oilers (1-1 SU, 1-1 ATS, 1-1 o/u)
Penalties were the downfall (seven for 14 minutes) of the Oilers in the first game of this series, but Edmonton was more disciplined in Game 2. The Oilers took four penalties for a total of eight minutes in Wednesday’s contest, and they killed off all four of the Kings’ power play opportunities. More importantly, the Oilers stayed out of the penalty box for the entire third period.
Edmonton will have to find a way to get Connor McDavid going as he’s been held to just one assist through the first two games of the series. Los Angeles has done an excellent job of containing the league’s top scorer this season, holding him to just four points in six matchups. McDavid doesn’t have a mutli-point effort against the Kings this year and he’s +120 to record under 1.5 points on Friday.
Player to watch: Leon Draisaitl
Draisaitl has been the best player on the ice in this series, notching a goal and two assists in Edmonton’s Game 2 victory. He also had a pair of goals in Game 1. The German forward is now riding a five-game point streak into action Friday and he has multi-point efforts in his last three games. His playoff pedigree is already becoming legendary.
About the Kings (1-1 SU, 1-1 ATS, 1-1 o/u)
The Kings have proven they can claw back from multi-goal deficits in both games of the series, but they’ll want to avoid getting in the habit of falling behind early to the Oilers. They’ve been outscored 4-0 in the first period of the series, and the Kings didn’t get a shot on a goal until 18 minutes into the game on Wednesday. In fact, Los Angeles still hasn’t played a single minute of hockey in the series with the lead.
Joonas Korpisalo saw another heavy workload in Game 2, turning aside 33 of the 36 shots he faced. He made 37 saves in Game 1 and figures to be back between the pipes for Game 3.
Player to watch: Adrian Kempe
Kempe recorded four shots and an assist in Game 2 to continue his hot play of late. The Kings forward now has seven goals and three assists over his last five games while firing 34 shots on goal (average of 6.8 shots per game) during that span. He’s +165 to score, -160 to record over 0.5 points, and -110 to record over 3.5 shots in Game 3.
First period puckline: Oilers -0.5
Probable goaltenders
Edmonton: Stuart Skinner (1-1, 2.78 GAA, .898 SV%) – confirmed.
Los Angeles: Joonas Korpisalo (1-1, 2.83 GAA, .921 SV%) – unconfirmed.
Noteworthy absences
Oilers forward Mattias Janmark missed Game 2 with a lower-body injury and is questionable on Friday night. For the Kings, Kevin Fiala (lower body) is unlikely to suit up.
Betting trends
- The under is 6-2 in the past eight meetings.
- The favourite is 38-15 in the past 53 meetings.
- The over is 23-9 in Edmonton’s last 32 road games.
Wagers to consider
- First period puckline – Oilers -0.5: +165. As previously stated, Edmonton has come out flying in both of the previous games in the series. Yes, the Kings should have more energy out of the gate with their home fans behind them in Game 3, but I still like the Oilers to get on the board first and to hold an early lead heading into the first intermission.
- This wager seems obvious, but how can you not back Leon Draisaitl to score in this one? An anytime goal is +135 and he’s been by far the best player on the ice for both teams early in the series. He looks unstoppable.
- Evan Bouchard over 0.5 points: -120. The Oilers pointman has notched at least a point in five straight games and 10 of his last 12. He’s also recorded at least one power play point in both of the previous games of the series. If you like that trend to continue, he’s +140.
- Connor McDavid under 1.5 points: +120. I can’t believe I’m recommending this, but the numbers don’t lie. The Kings appear to be the phenom’s Kryptonite. He’ll probably make me pay for this by scoring a hat trick (+2500 if you’re looking for a fun longshot with a big potential payout).
