The last two postseason trips have been total disappointments for the Edmonton Oilers, who were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the first round on both occasions despite having an extremely talented roster. The Oilers get back to business in 2022 with a relatively favorable opening-round matchup against a Los Angeles Kings team that got hot during the tail-end of the regular season.

Nitrobetting is ready to dish out some slick assists to get bets into the back of the net. This time, let’s break down the upcoming 2022 Stanley Cup PLayoffs matchup between the Los Angeles Kings and the Edmonton Oilers. Be sure to be on the lookout for updated NHL odds at our online Bitcoin sportsbook before placing your bets.

Kings vs. Oilers Game 1 Information

• When: Monday, May 2, 2022, 10:00 PM ET
• Where: Rodgers Place, Edmonton, Alberta
• TV: ESPN, CBC, SN, TVAS, BSW
• Radio: AM 570 LA Sports (Kings) // 630 CHED (Oilers)
• Live Stream: NHL Live
• NHL Betting Odds: Kings (+169) / Oilers(-204)

READ MORE: Lightning vs. Maple Leafs Game 1 Stanley Cup Playoffs Odds and Preview – May 2nd, 2022

Why Bet on the Los Angeles Kings?

For the first time in four years, the Los Angeles Kings are back in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They closed out the regular season with five wins in their last six games and are one of the league’s bigger surprises considering that they lost seven of their first eight contests of the season.

Unlike Edmonton, Los Angeles does not have big-name superstars on the roster. Rather, the Kings have playoff veterans aplenty with the likes of Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty, Dustin Brown, and Jonathan Quick all familiar names from their title-winning squads in 2012 and 2014. Kopitar leads his team with 67 points, while the Kings’ first-round pick following their last championship run, Adrian Kempe, has a team-high 35 goals.

Unfortunately, Doughty will not take part in the playoff action due to a season-ending wrist injury. Still, the Kings have a clean slate to work with this postseason and could go on a Cinderella run similar to the Montreal Canadiens’ shocking appearance in the Stanley Cup Final last season.

Why Bet on the Edmonton Oilers?

A three-game win streak to close out the regular season and an 11-3 record in April have the Edmonton Oilers in great shape for another strong postseason run. However, all their promise has gone to the wayside after the Oilers have only one win over their last eight playoff appearances.

Nevertheless, the fact that Edmonton has the best one-two punch in the NHL speaks volumes of their potential to go all the way this time around. Connor McDavid secured his fourth-career Art Ross Trophy after leading the league in points this regular season (123). Fellow standout Leon Draisaitl also finished in the top five of the 2021-22 campaign’s leaderboard with 110 points (fourth overall).

Capitalizing on the Kings’ miscues in the first round will be the key to Edmonton’s success considering that team finished third in the league with a 26.0 power-play percentage. The Oilers will also need either Mikko Koskinen or Stuart Skinner to hold the fort after starting goalie Mike Smith was placed on the injured reserve list with a lower-body injury.

Kings vs. Oilers Betting Trends

• The Kings are 5-3 in the last eight road games.
• The Kings are 1-5 in the last six meetings against Edmonton.
• The totals went under in four of Los Angeles’ last six games in general.
• The Oilers are 14-1 in the last 15 home games.
• The Oilers are 16-2 in the last 18 outings as favorites to win.
• The totals went over in three of Edmonton’s last four homestands.

Kings vs. Oilers Expert Betting Predictions

All things considered, Edmonton is the clear-cut favorite to take Game 1, especially with home-ice advantage working in their favor. However, the loss of Smith between the pipes might just be enough for the Kings to exploit the Oilers’ weakness at goaltending and possibly draw the first-blood upset on Monday with LA’s brand of balanced, team-oriented hockey.

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*All odds stated are subject to change without prior notice.