Expert NHL Picks Tonight: Oilers vs. Kings, December 30
This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
The Edmonton Oilers (16-15-1) make the fifth stop on a six-game road trip against the Los Angeles Kings (20-8-4) on Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed on ESPN+.
The Oilers picked up a 5-0 win against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night, easily covering the puck line as gigantic favorites. Edmonton has won three in a row since getting tripped up against the New York Islanders on Dec. 19 to kick off the road trip. Edmonton has won 11 of the past 14 games overall, too.
For the Kings, they're coming off a 3-2 setback against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday. Still, Los Angeles has won four of the past six games overall, and the Kings have picked up six victories in the past nine outings at Crypto.com Arena.
Edmonton has dominated this series recently, winning three straight meetings, including two wins in Los Angeles in the postseason series last April, including an elimination game win in Game 6.
As far as this season is concerned, the Oilers have been on fire offensively. Surprise. They rank 6th in the NHL to score 3.5 goals per game, while registering 34.1 shots on goal per game to rank 3rd in the league. The power play is humming along at 26.0%, too, ranking 5th in the league. Defensively, the penalty kill leaves a lot to be desired, hitting at just 78.6% to rank 21st.
For the Kings, they've hit 3.5 GPG to rank 3rd in the NHL, while leading the league with 34.2 shots on goal per game. The man advantage is so-so, ranking 18th with a 19.1% conversion rate, and the penalty kill is No. 1 at 87.0%. The Kings are also No. 1 with just 2.3 GPG, and 2nd with 26.7 SOG per game.
The Oilers are projected to start Stuart Skinner (13-9-1, 2.91 GAA, .891 SV%, 2 SO), while the Kings counter with Cam Talbot (14-7-2, 2.11 GAA, .924 SV%, 2 SO). Skinner is just 5-5-0 with a 3.09 GAA and .882 SV% with 2 SO in 10 road assignments, while Talbot is 4-6-1 with a 2.67 GAA and .905 SV% in 11 starts at home.
The Oilers have won three straight meetings in this series, while Edmonton has won 11 of the past 14 games overall. Edmonton rolls into SoCal with three straight wins on the road, too. Look for Skinner to leave the Oilers to yet another victory.
The Kings have done a great job recently, too, but Talbot has actually been way better on the road than at home. He has turned in just a .500 record on home ice, while going a sparkling 10-1-1 with a 1.60 GAA and .943 SV% with 2 SO in 11 starts on the road.
Back Edmonton on the road, as the Oilers should continue to roll on the power play against Talbot and the Kings in L.A.
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- Oilers ML (+106 at FanDuel)
The Kings rank No. 1 in the league with just 2.3 GPG, and that's great news for the Under. So is the team's penalty kill, which has been simply amazing at 87.0%. Whether it's Talbot in the crease, or backup David Rittich, the Kings have gotten tremendous goaltending lately.
The Under is 5-1 in the past six games overall for L.A., while going 8-2-1 in the past 11 skates on home ice. The total has also gone low in nine of the past 12 games against Western Conference foes.
For the Oilers, they cashed the Under last time out in a shutout win in San Jose, while the Under has a slight 3-2 edge in the past five games overall. The Under went 3-1 in the four regular-season meetings in the 2022-23 season, too. At plus-money, the Under is too much of a value to not roll the dice on.
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- Under 6.5 (+110 at FanDuel)
As far as player props are concerned, we'll keep it simple, with one player from each team represented.
Be sure to bookmark our NHL player props page to find the best prices on your favorite wagers each day of the season. RotoWire has just launched a new props section so be sure to check out our Best NHL props tool to help you make your best betting decisions.
Oilers left wing Zach Hyman has lit the lamp 20 times, which ties him for 5th in the NHL. That includes goes in the past two games, too, while scoring five times in the past seven games, and eight times in 10 contests in December. The fact you can get Hyman at plus-money is amazing. Take advantage.
- Zach Hyman Anytime Goal Scorer (+170 at FanDuel)
As far as the home side is concerned, Anze Kopitar scored his 14th goal of the season in the 3-2 loss against VGK on Thursday, and he has four goals in the past seven games. The Slovenian pivot can help you double up your initial wager if he lights the lamp again.
