Oilers vs. Kings Stanley Cup Playoffs Game 3 Best Bets for May 6 (Archive)
The Oilers rebounded nicely from a series-opening defeat and crowned the Kings, 6-0, in a Wednesday night shellacking in front of the hometown fans. Now the series shifts to L.A. in a pivotal Game 3 matchup as we look to cash our NHL picks.
Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings
Friday, May 06, 2022 – 10:00 PM EDT at Crypto.com Arena
The Kings had lost five of their last six meetings with the Oilers entering their first-round, Game 1, contest and the NHL odds reflected what appeared to be a lopsided mismatch. When the puck dropped for Game 1, Edmonton closed as high as a -210 favorite over at some of BMR's top-rated books.
However, Los Angeles managed the 4-3 upset with a late tally by Phillip Danault and the Kings cashed as big road dogs.
Despite that surprising outcome, the chalk-eaters would not be deterred as the money poured in on the Oilers in Game 2 despite the stunning loss, or perhaps because of it, and the line rose to as high as -220 on the home favorite. The public would get its revenge on the books.
Oilers Too Slick
After a scoreless opening period, it took all of one minute and change for the Oilers to make a Game 2 statement and it came off the blade of goal-scoring phenom, Leon Draisaitl, who also scored in the first game.
But that was just the beginning of the onslaught as Darnell Nurse followed with a short-handed goal less than five minutes later and Ryan McLeod capped the second period with one of his own.
But the assault was far from over as the Oilers came out firing when Evander Kane and Jesse Puljujarvi scored within 22 seconds of each other to take a five-goal lead. Kane would proceed to get his second goal of the evening that would seal Edmonton’s impressive 6-0 victory.
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Oilers goalie, Mike Smith, turned aside all 30 shots he faced while Edmonton dominated in every facet of the game including shots (36-30), faceoffs won (35-28), and even hits (48-46). It was redemption for the veteran Smith who mishandled a puck that led to a goal in the Oilers' Game 1 loss.
“I made one bad play and it cost us the game,” Smith said. “I think I just carried the same kind of mindset into tonight and obviously wanted to put in a good showing, especially after you feel like you’re maybe the cause of the loss."
How to Bet on Oilers vs. Kings Game 3
When handicapping this game, it’s difficult to think of anything other than the total mismatch we witnessed on Wednesday night. The Oilers have won six of their last eight meetings against the Kings including their last three consecutive visits to the crypto.com Arena.
Jonathan Quick will likely be back in net for the Kings but he is no longer the elite netminder he was several years ago. And while the 36-year-old veteran is more than serviceable, the Kings' only chance to win this series is to have a goalie who is capable of stealing a game or two.
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But considering the offensive mismatch between the teams, even that would be a tall order to fill with a top-tier netminder. I suspect this will be another high-scoring affair and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Kings’ blueliners abandon their stations to forecheck and apply more pressure in the Oilers’ zone.
That, of course, will come with a big risk and I can envision the Oilers getting more than their fair share of 2-on-1 breaks because of it.
Oilers vs. Kings Trends
- Oilers are 7-1 in their last 8 after scoring 5 goals or more in their previous game.
- Oilers are 6-1 in their last 7 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Oilers are 10-2 in their last 12 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Kings are 1-7 in their last 8 Conference Quarterfinals games.
- Over is 4-0 in the Oilers' last 4 after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Over is 6-1-1 in the Oilers' last 8 when their opponent allows 5 goals or more in their previous game.
- Over is 5-1 in the Oilers' last 6 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Over is 5-1 in the Oilers' last 6 games following a win.
NHL Pick: Oilers ML (-139) with Heritage Sports (visit our Heritage Sports Review)
NHL Pick: Over 6 ½ (+104) with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.