The Edmonton Oilers start their journey back to the Stanley Cup Final against the Los Angeles Kings.
The pregame narrative: This will be a repeat of last year’s opening series, which the Oilers won 4-1. Can the Kings get a different result this season, or will history repeat itself? I have prop picks on Anze Kopitar and Connor McDavid for Game 1.
Check out my Oilers vs. Kings prop picks for Game 1 of the opening round.
Oilers vs. Kings prop picks
Best Bet: Kopitar to score 1+ points (-115)
Kopitar is turning into an ageless wonder as he continues to lead the defensively stout Los Angeles Kings.
He’s known for his elite defensive ability, but his offensive production was still there in his age-37 season.
The centreman scored 67 points in 81 games (0.83 per game), which is right around his career scoring average (0.88 per game). He had at least a point in 13 of the final 23 contests.
Edmonton is an average defensive team. It ranks 14th in goals allowed and kills penalties at a below-average 78.2% rate.
The Oilers will be without Mattias Ekholm for the entirety of the first round. He’s one of their top defenceman and his absence will open up more offence for Los Angeles.
Key stat: The Kings recently played Edmonton on April 14. Kopitar had two assists in a 5-0 win for L.A.
Quick picks
McDavid to score 2+ points (+132): A big reason the Oilers were shut out last week against the Kings (5-0 on Monday) was the absence of McDavid.
That rarely occurs when the captain is in the lineup. He has at least a point in 21 of the last 22 games heading into the postseason.
Los Angeles was a very similar team this season to last. It allowed the third-fewest goals per game in 2023-24 and the second-fewest this season.
Defence went out the window in Edmonton’s Game 1 win last season, though. McDavid had five assists and went on to lead the Oilers to the Cup Final, where they fell one game short.
That was against McDavid’s best effort, however. He won the Conn Smythe after scoring 42 points in 25 games, with 12 multi-point games mixed in.
I simply cannot pass on this pick in the playoffs at plus money.
Oilers vs. Kings prop picks made at 11:30 a.m. ET 04/20/2025.
Spencer is a true sports junkie. A graduate of the Sports Journalism program at Centennial College, he first joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2023. He is now a contributing writer. He loves finding the edge to bet on in all sports but has a deep passion for the NBA and UFC. Previous stops include Sportsnet.