The Stanley Cup Playoffs get underway on Monday night with four games on the schedule, including the Los Angeles Kings visiting the Edmonton Oilers.
These two teams clashed in the Western Conference quarterfinals last year, with the Oilers prevailing in seven games before advancing all the way to Western Conference Finals.
Edmonton finished second in the Pacific Division with 109 points to clinch a playoff berth, while the Kings claimed third place in the division after a 104-point campaign to punch their ticket to the playoffs.
The victor of this best-of-seven series will move on to play the winner of the series between the Vegas Golden Knights and Winnipeg Jets.
Edmonton is opening as a massive -200 favourite on the moneyline in Game 1 and the total is set at 6.5 goals.
Canada Sports Betting will be providing comprehensive betting previews for each game of this series, so check back over the next couple of weeks for all of the latest odds information and news.
| Kings Moneyline Odds | +170 |
| Oilers Moneyline Odds | -200 |
| Series odds | Oilers (-260), Kings (+215) |
| Over/Under | 6.5 goals (over -110, under -110) |
| Time/Date | Monday, April 17, 10:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | Broadcast: Sportsnet, CBC |
All odds courtesy of 
Previous matchups
These two teams split the regular season series two games apiece, with the Oilers taking the last two meetings by a combined score of 5-1. The teams played under the total in three of the four meetings and the straight-up loser was held to one goal or less in three of those games.
| Date | Home Team | Result | Total |
| Nov. 16 | Edmonton | 3-1 Kings | 6.5 (under) |
| Jan. 9 | Los Angeles | 6-3 Kings | 6.5 (over) |
| March 30 | Edmonton | 2-0 Oilers | 6.5 (under) |
| April 4 | Los Angeles | 3-1 Oilers | 6.5 (under) |
About the Kings (47-25-7-3, 46-36 ATS, 42-36 o/u)
The Kings won many games this season by being responsible in their own end. They posted a plus-22 defensive rating during the regular season thanks to the goaltending tandem of Joonas Korpisalo and Pheonix Copley. Since being acquired on March 1, Korpisalo is 7-3-1 with a 2.13 GAA and .921 SV%. While Copley became the fastest goalie in Kings history to reach 20 wins (24 games), and holds a 24-6-3 mark with a 2.64 GAA and .903 SV%. It’s still unclear who will get the nod for Game 1 of this opening series, but the Kings will feel confident regardless of who is in between the pipes.
Offensively, Los Angeles was no slouch this year, either. The Kings averaged 3.34 goals per game (10th in the NHL) and 11 players reached double-digit totals in goals during the regular season.
Player to watch: Adrian Kempe
Kempe finished the regular season on a high note, recording five goals and three assists over the final four games. He’s +170 to score tonight at bet365.
About the Oilers (50-23-5-4, 46-36 ATS, 46-27 o/u)
Edmonton finished the regular season on a 15-game point streak (14-0-1) and a nine-game undefeated run, and it boasts three 100-point scorers (Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins) on its roster. The Oilers led the league with 325 goals scored and recorded an absurb 32.4% conversion rate on their power plays. In fact, the Oilers notched an incredible 89 goals with the man advantage, which works out to more than one per game.
Mattias Ekholm has been a great addition on the back end for the Oilers, who are 18-2-1 since they acquired the veteran defenceman from the Nashville Predators. Edmonton finished the season on a defensive high by surrendering just six goals in its final seven contests. That stretch included two victories over the Kings.
Player to watch: Connor McDavid
McDavid, who led the league in goals (64) and points (153), has been especially hot lately, recording 22 goals and 34 assists over the last 28 games.
Connor McDavid to score 2 or more goals
Probable goaltenders
Los Angeles: Joonas Korpisalo (18-14-4, 2.87 GAA, .915 SV%) – confirmed.
Edmonton: Stuart Skinner (29-14-5, 2.75 GAA, .914 SV%) – unconfirmed.
Noteworthy absences
While Edmonton is mostly healthy, the Kings do have concerns. Forward Kevin Fiala (lower body), who was second on the team with 72 points during the regular season, and 23-goal scorer Gabriel Vilardi (upper body) are unlikely to play in Game 1.
Betting trends
- The under is 5-1 in the past six meetings.
- The Oilers are 9-1 in their last 10 home games.
- The under is 5-1-1 in Edmonton’s last seven games.
- The favourite is 37-14 in the past 51 meetings.
Wagers to consider
- Same Game Parlay – Bet Boost – Oilers to win, Leon Draisaitl over 0.5 assists, Connor McDavid to score: +275. There isn’t much value on betting these outcomes individually, but combining them in a parlay makes sense. The Oilers are big favourites in this game and Draisaitl and McDavid are likely to connect on a tally to cash the ticket.
- Viktor Arvidsson over 0.5 points: -125. Arvidsson has two goals and four assists in four games against the Oilers this season and he should see an uptick in ice time if Fiala and Vilardi are officially ruled out.
- Connor McDavid to score two or more goals: +600. McDavid seems hell-bent on powering this team to a Stanley Cup and he’ll be looking to make a statement in the postseason opener.
Other NHL games tonight
| Home Team |  | | Away Team | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Hurricanes | -175 | +155 | New York Islanders | 7:00 PM |
| Boston Bruins | -220 | +180 | Florida Panthers | 7:30 PM |
| Dallas Stars | -145 | +125 | Minnesota Wild | 9:30 PM |
