2025 Oilers vs Kings Series: Odds, Schedule, and Prediction

• The Oilers and Kings will square off in the first round of NHL playoffs for the fourth straight year
• The 2025 Round 1 NHL Playoff odds favor the Oilers to advance with Game 1 Monday, April 21
• Read below for Oilers vs Kings series odds, preview, schedule and prediction

For the fourth straight season, the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings will renew hostilities in Round 1 of the NHL Playoffs. Edmonton has won the three previous years, but this time around, LA has home-ice advantage, finishing second in the Pacific Division. In the 2025 Stanley Cup odds, Edmonton’s best price can be found at Bet365 at +950 to win it all, while Los Angeles is +2000 at BetMGM.

Despite starting on the road, oddsmakers firmly believe the Oilers will defeat the Kings yet again. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Edmonton is a sizeable -135 moneyline favorite over the Kings. Will history repeat itself or will a lot of bettors’ NHL Playoff Bracket be busted? Let’s take a look at the Round 1 NHL series odds, schedule, and make our early Oilers vs Kings prediction.

Edmonton Oilers vs Los Angeles Kings Series Odds

In the Oilers vs Kings series odds, Edmonton is a heavy -135 moneyline favorite, giving them a 57.45% implied win probability to advance to Round 2.

Odds as of April 17, 2025, at DraftKings Sportsbook. Claim the DraftKings promo code to bet on the NHL Playoffs.

Oilers vs Kings Series Schedule

The Oilers vs Kings series schedule has been released, with Game 1 set for Monday, April 21st. SN will carry the first four games in Canada, while TBS takes games 2 and 4 in the USA and TNT has game 3 following Game 1 (ESPN2).

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Oilers Are The Kings Playoff Kryptonite

Last postseason, the Oilers were within one game of winning their first Stanley Cup since 1990, but they fell in a seventh and deciding game to the Panthers to miss out on Lord Stanley.

Edmonton finished this campaign third in the Pacific Division with a 48-29-5 record. It’s the first time they didn’t finish second in the last four years, which is significant – they’ve defeated the Kings in the first round of playoffs in the last three postseasons, all of which saw them have home ice advantage (7 games in 2022, 6 in 2023, 5 in 2024).

Their top-two superstar players were both fantastic, as usual, with Leon Draisaitl, who is in the running to win the Hart Trophy, leading the league with 52 goals. Connor McDavid has also been brilliant, racking up 100 points. However, the latter missed 15 games with injuries, and the former eleven contests.

After being fourth in scoring last year, Edmonton slid to eleventh, and went from tenth in goals against average to 14th this year.

A major concern for Oil Country is the litany of injuries. While Draisaitl (missed last seven outings) and McDavid should be good to go this series, they aren’t 100%. Blueliner Mattias Ekholm is expected to be out versus LA, with others like Zach Hyman, Jake Walman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Trent Frederic have missed significant time. Add to that Evander Kane, who hasn’t played all season due to a slew of ailments.

Kings Fight to Exorcise First-Round Demons

The LA Kings are hoping to get the monkey off their back against their pesky rivals. In the regular season, LA took care of the Oilers on three of four occasions, so they’ll have some confidence, especially because they shut them out twice this month.

After being middle of the road (16th) in scoring last year, Tinseltown was a little better at 13th in 2024-25. The goaltending continues to be a thorn in the side of opposing teams, as they were third best last year, and one notch better this go around. Darcy Kuemper has been brilliant in his first year between the pipes, ranking second in save percentage (.922) and GAA (2.02) among goalies with 50 starts.

LA has their own injury concerns, with Drew Doughty (ankle) missing four battles, but he came back to play Monday. Fellow blueliner Joel Edmundson didn’t suit up the last five games. Forward Tanner Jeannot is out week-to-week, and hasn’t competed since March 25th.

Adrian Kempe led the team with 73 points and co-led in goals (35) with Kevin Fiala, while captain Anze Kopitar continued to lead by example with 21 goals and 46 assists of his own.

Oilers vs Kings Series Prediction

It would be easy to pass off the Oilers as series winners, considering their history with LA, and the fact they went to the Cup Final last year. However, I do think Edmonton’s depth will be tested, particularly without quite the same secondary scoring, and the blue line missing key players. Add to that McDavid and Draisaitl clearly not quite healthy (though that didn’t hinder McDavid from putting up ten assists in four games since his return.)

They both have their distinct strengths and weaknesses. It’s not clearly obvious one way or the other who is markedly better, based on the stats. Here’s how these two teams match up:

Oilers vs Kings Head-to-Head Stats

From a pure hockey fan perspective, having superstars like McDavid and Drasaitl deeper in the postseason is a better thing. But in terms of making cash, the Kings are awfully enticing at plus money, considering they also have home ice advantage and the better goaltending.

While it would be an incredibly disappointing let down for the favored Oilers, following their 2023-24 campaign to the Cup Final, I’m willing to be a bit risky and side with the underdogs, particularly with much more team health.

EDM-LA Prediction:

• Kings Series ML (+115)

The 2025 Oilers vs Kings series is shaping up to be an exciting matchup between two talented teams in the NHL. Both teams have had their fair share of success in recent years, with the Oilers making a deep playoff run last season and the Kings showing improvement and potential for a strong postseason performance.

As the series approaches, oddsmakers have set the odds in favor of the Oilers, who are seen as the favorites to win the series. This is not surprising given their strong roster led by superstar Connor McDavid and goaltender Mikko Koskinen. The Kings, on the other hand, have been seen as underdogs in this matchup, but they have a solid core of players including Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty who can make an impact on the ice.

The schedule for the series is set to be a best-of-seven format, with games alternating between the teams’ home arenas. This will give both teams a fair chance to showcase their skills and compete for a spot in the next round of the playoffs. The series is expected to be closely contested, with both teams likely to put up a fight for every win.

In terms of prediction, it is difficult to say for certain which team will come out on top in this series. The Oilers have the edge in terms of talent and experience, but the Kings have shown that they are capable of pulling off upsets and surprising their opponents. It will likely come down to which team can execute their game plan effectively and capitalize on their opportunities.

Overall, the 2025 Oilers vs Kings series is sure to be a thrilling matchup for hockey fans. With talented players on both sides and high stakes on the line, this series has the potential to be one of the most exciting of the postseason. Fans can expect intense competition, dramatic moments, and unforgettable performances from both teams as they battle it out on the ice for a chance to advance in the playoffs.