The Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers have an important battle coming up Monday night at Rogers Place. Both teams sit at 68 points, tied for third in the Pacific Division — though the Oilers hold the tiebreaker with a game in hand. That puts both teams two points clear of the second wild card team, the Nashville Predators.
The Oilers have stumbled a little in recent games with three straight losses, but they’ll be looking to right the ship in a big game for the division standings.
Bet on Kings vs. Oilers
LAK +125
EDM -150
Here’s everything you need to know about both teams, how they measure up, and what kind of bets you should be thinking about.
Kings vs. Oilers odds
| Kings Moneyline Odds | +125 |
| Oilers Moneyline Odds | -150 |
| Puckline odds | Oilers -1.5 (+160), Kings +1.5 (-190) |
| Total | 6.5 goals (over -115, under -105) |
| Time/Date | Feb. 26, 9:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | Broadcast: SN1, SNW Stream: Sportsnet+ (How to watch the NHL in Canada?) |
All odds courtesy of 
About the Kings (29-17-10 SU, 26-30 ATS, 20-34-2 o/u)
The Kings have had their ups and downs this season, to say the least. They began as one of the best teams in the league before suffering an ugly stretch heading into the All-Star break. Since then, though, they’ve gone 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, which is cause for optimism among Kings fans.
The key has been defence and goaltending. With 152 goals against, the Kings are second in the Western Conference behind the Winnipeg Jets (133 goals against) and fourth in the NHL. Cam Talbot‘s record (16-13-5) doesn’t tell the whole story, but his .913 save percentage is a good indicator of how strong he has been this year.
Offensively, the Kings are surprisingly balanced. They have six players with 30 or more points and eight players with at least 10 goals. Adrian Kempe (19 goals, 51 points) continues to be the best forward on the team. Kevin Fiala (47 points) and veteran Anze Kopitar (46 points) fill out an underrated top six.
That said, there are a few issues. Quinton Byfield (42 points) has had a good year overall but remains wildly inconsistent. Meanwhile, there’s Pierre-Luc Dubois to worry about. He was acquired in a marquee trade and given a big extension but has been one of the most significant disappointments in the NHL. He has to do better than 13 goals and 26 points if the Kings want to make a deep run.
About the Oilers (33-20-2 SU, 27-28 ATS, 26-27-2 o/u)
It has been a Jekyll-and-Hyde season for the Edmonton Oilers. After starting 2-9-1, all signs pointed to a collapse. Then, somewhere along the way, they pulled off 16 straight wins. They topped the mark for the most consecutive wins in a row by a Canadian team. They even managed to tie the 2016-17 Columbus Blue Jackets for the second-longest streak ever.
Since then, things have evened out. The Oilers are 4-5-1 in their last 10, having lost their last three. Despite their historic win streak, their recent results have them sitting 14 points back of the Vancouver Canucks for the Pacific Division lead. The goal now is to try to catch the Vegas Golden Knights, who remain three points ahead.
After a slow start, Connor McDavid is back to his old self. He has 89 points in 53 games, good for third in the NHL. Leon Draisaitl has 28 goals and 71 points, which seems almost quiet for him, but is elite compared to 99.9% of the league.
Zach Hyman has been a man possessed this year, leading the team with 37 goals through 54 games played. Defensively, the team has gotten great performances out of Evan Bouchard (54 points in 55 games), Mattias Ekholm (24 points but solid two-way play), and Darnell Nurse.
Stuart Skinner has been solid in net but the regular season is a different beast than the playoffs. The Oilers are about where they should be on the whole, but none of that will wind up mattering until the playoffs begin.
Connor McDavid over 1.5 points
-120
Last matchup
The last time these two division rivals met came back on Feb. 10 in Los Angeles. Both teams were in distinctly different places from the beginning of the season, too. The Kings had been struggling substantially while the Oilers were easily among the hottest teams in the league.
That said, it was all Kings all night. After a quiet first period, the Kings got goals from Trevor Lewis, Dubois, and a pair from Byfield. The black and silver would cruise to the 4-0 win on the night, with David Rittich earning a 26-save shutout.
Key injuries
The Kings aren’t necessarily dealing with any major injuries but a few depth pieces are. Carl Grundstrom went on injured reserve back on Feb.15 and has since been joined by Viktor Arvidsson (lower body). Defenceman Mikey Anderson is also out, though his injury is undisclosed.
The Oilers are quite healthy at the moment. No one is on the injured list, and that’s all anyone can ask for. With the division title virtually out of reach, the Oilers will be hoping everyone stays fit as they continue to push for the playoffs.
Betting trends
- Since covering in 16 straight games, the Oilers have been up and down on the puckline. They are 4-6 against the spread in the 10 games following their 16-game streak, including three straight failures to cover (and losses).
- The Kings have been very good in their last 10, especially on the puckline. The Kings have covered in five of six and seven of their last nine games. That said, they have gone under their total in four straight and five of six.
- Despite having a spotty record in their last 10, the Oilers have been very consistent when it comes to the over. They are 7-3 on the over in that stretch. Prior to a 4-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild, they had gone over in five straight.
Player prop trends
- McDavid has been absolutely ridiculous of late. In his last 12 games, he has a point in 11 of them, and two or more points in nine of them.
- Kopitar has quietly been building up a head of steam of late. Though he was held off the scoresheet against Anaheim on Feb. 24, he has points in four of his last six games.
- We can’t underscore how good Hyman has been of late. He has points in four straight and six of his last seven. Even more impressively, he has goals in four straight, including a pair in a 6-3 loss to Calgary on Feb. 24.
Wagers to consider
- McDavid is a man on fire and is back in that territory where stopping him seems like a dream. Look for him to pick up more than 1.5 points (-120) as he continues to close the gap between himself and the top two scorers in the league.
- Speaking of the Oilers, the over has been a gimme for them of late. The offence is clicking and the Kings have been scoring more of late, so take the over (6.5, -115) in this one.
- Byfield has been streaky of late but he’s not putting the puck on net as much as the sportsbooks think. His SOG total is set at 2.5, a number he’s gone over just twice in his last nine games. Take the under (-200).
