After taking a 1-0 series lead on Monday, the Los Angeles Kings have a chance to steal the first two games on the road when they visit the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place for Game 2 of their first-round series.
Los Angeles managed to hold the NHL’s leading scorer, Connor McDavid, pointless for the first time in more than a month. Can the visitors keep McDavid quiet and pull off another road upset, or will Edmonton’s captain break through in Game 2?
We’ll discuss all that and more in our Kings and Oilers NHL picks and predictions for Wednesday, April 19.
Kings vs Oilers Game 2 odds
Kings vs Oilers series odds
| Team | To win | Win in 4 | Win in 5 | Win in 6 | Win in 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kings | +100 | +1,100 | +700 | +475 | +600 |
| Oilers | -130 | N/A | +600 | +380 | +310 |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook as of April 19
Kings vs Oilers Game 2 predictions
The Kings skated to a surprising Game 1 victory on Monday as they rallied from an early two-goal deficit to eventually win in overtime. Alex Iafallo netted the winner, while Adrian Kempe had a couple goals and Anze Kopitar scored the game-tying tally with 17 seconds remaining en route to a four-point night.
The real key for Los Angeles, though, was defense and goaltending. Joonas Korpisalo had another great night in net as he stopped 37 of 40 shots. Meanwhile, Leon Draisaitl broke through for two goals on six shots, but Connor McDavid finished the night with no points, five shots, and minus-2 in more than 25 minutes of ice time.
The question we’ve all got to be wondering heading into tonight’s contest, then, is can the Kings keep McDavid at bay for a second straight game? If they do, they’ll likely have the edge and a great shot at taking a 2-0 series lead on the road.
Monday’s defeat was the first time McDavid had been held pointless since March 9 — a stretch of 16 straight games. The Oilers star was held off the score sheet in consecutive contests just once this season from October 22-24, and never went pointless in back-to-back games last postseason while finding the score sheet in 14 of 16 outings.
The Oilers really can’t afford to fall into a two-game deficit heading to Los Angeles — look for McDavid to wake up offensively and lead Edmonton to victory in Game 2.
My best bet: McDavid to score + Oilers win (+125 at BetMGM)
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Kings vs Oilers Game 2 moneyline analysis
The Oilers opened as a massive -203 favorite on home ice for Game 2 and bumped up as high as -250 at some books by this morning. Given that Edmonton needs the win while holding the edge on paper, I’ve got to think that the Oilers will even up the series tonight.
Although the Kings stunned the Oilers in Game 1, Edmonton remains one of the NHL’s hottest teams going back to the start of March, going 18-2-2 (including Monday’s loss) over that span while not suffering consecutive defeats since late February.
The Oilers had been clicking both offensively and defensively coming into the series, so they could feasibly win Game 2 in multiple ways. Edmonton averaged 4.33 GPG during a nine-game win streak to close out the regular season, although the Oilers managed just five total goals in two meetings against the Kings during that stretch. If they’ve got to win a low-scoring defensive battle they can likely do that too as Edmonton surrendered just 0.86 GPG through its final six contests.
Kings vs Oilers Game 2 Over/Under analysis
The total for tonight’s contest opened at 6.5 goals and despite a seven-goal output in Game 1, I’m sticking with the Under for Game 2.
While the Oilers own the NHL’s top offense, the Under has actually gone 5-2-1 in their last eight contests thanks to their improved defensive play. Meanwhile, the Kings emerged as one of the league’s top defensive clubs down the stretch, allowing two goals or fewer in 15 of their last 21 contests, with the Under cashing in six of their last 10.
Edmonton and Los Angeles also tend to play tight, low-scoring games. The Under is 5-2 in the last seven meetings between the two clubs, and Game 1 was bound to cash the Under yet again until Kopitar tied it up with just 17 seconds on the clock.
Kings vs Oilers betting trend to know
Edmonton is 9-2 in its last 11 home games. Find more NHL betting trends for Kings vs Oilers.
Kings vs Oilers Game 2 game info
| Location: | Rogers Place, Edmonton, AB |
| Date: | Wednesday, April 19, 2023 |
| Puck drop: | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ESPN |
Kings vs Oilers Game 2 injuries
