We have ourselves an elimination game this evening. The Los Angeles Kings have taken the Edmonton Oilers to the brink of elimination. An overtime thriller in game four in Edmonton was the story of this series. It was a back and forth affair with both teams’ stars showing up in big ways.
Expect game five to be fast paced, high energy, and high pressure as the Kings look to close out this first round Western Conference series. Puck drop for game five is scheduled 10:00 PM Eastern Time at crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Be sure to tune into TBS to watch this one.
Oilers at Kings Stats
Edmonton Oilers Stats
The Edmonton Oilers find themselves in a situation not many of the NHL expert picks would have predicted. They are a team with star power and they must play like it. Currently, the Oilers are 3rd in the NHL playoffs in goals per game. They currently are averaging 4.2 goals per game in the playoffs.
Their offense is being led by their dynamic duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. McDavid has two goals and seven assists so far in the playoffs while Draisaitl has five goals and two assists. These two superstars are the catalyst for the Oilers offense.
The achilles heel for Edmonton has always been their lack of consistency on the defensive side of the puck. While they are averaging only three goals per game in the postseason, they are having a hard time keeping up with the Kings’ forecheck.
Edmonton needs to be dialed in for 60 minutes of hockey in game five. At the end of the day it is an elimination game for them and they need to play with some desperation if they want to continue being looked at as one of the NHL betting odds favorites to win the cup.
Los Angeles Kings Stats
The Los Angeles Kings have exceeded expectations for this season. They were a team that was looked at as a couple of years away from making a playoff run. Now they find themselves on the cusp of one of the biggest upsets in the 2022 postseason.
While the Kings have veteran leadership on their team such as forward Anze Kopitar and goaltender Jonathan Quick, they don’t find themselves always leaning on the same players.
They are not top five in goals for or goals against in these playoffs. They don’t have a top five point getter on their team. Kings are simply winning by committee and that can be a dangerous recipe to game plan against in the playoffs.
This team has a good mix of veterans and youth that is determined to play deep into this postseason. At this point, the Kings are playing with house money and have put all of the pressure on their opponents.
Matchup information
Oilers at Kings Betting Trends
- The under is 5-1 in Kings last 6 games as the home underdog
- The over is 3-2 in the series so far overall
- The under is 5-1-1 in Kings last 7 home games
- Edmonton has been outshot in three games thus far in the series
Oilers at Kings Predictions
Expect a pressure filled situation in Los Angeles for game five with the Oilers on the brink of elimination. Currently, the Oilers are a -140 Moneyline favorite while the Kings are a +120 slight underdog. The NHL betting stats have slowly begun to trend in the King’s direction which has brought their odds closer.
The over/under is sitting at 6.5 total goals for this game. The over odds are -105 while the under odds are currently -115. Look for these teams to tighten up defensively with it being an elimination game.
Two of the NHL betting picks to look at should be the under 6.5 with -115 odds as these teams will play cautious in tonight’s contest as well as expect the Kings to defend home ice and come away with one of the biggest upsets in the 2022 NHL playoffs.
Conclusion
Overall, fans of the sport can expect a great contest between these two Western Conference foes in game five. The crowd at crypto.com arena is sure to be electric and do everything they can to help propel their home Kings to a series victory on Thursday evening.
This game will be a true test to see what the Oilers have in the tank. Can they make a comeback? Can they handle the pressure? Will their stars step up? Many question marks surround this team and with the pressure mounting, it will be a major uphill climb that this Edmonton team will have to complete.
Be sure to tune into TBS at 10:00 PM Eastern Time to watch this fun matchup.
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