Kings vs. Oilers Game 5 odds, prediction: NHL playoffs picks for Wednesday

The Edmonton Oilers are on the brink of punching their ticket to Round 2.

Coming off a 1-0 win in Los Angeles, the Oilers return home as a -192 favorite in Game 5 and a prohibitive -3000 favorite to advance.

And while the Oilers have been full value for their 3-1 series lead, there have still been some encouraging signs for the Kings in this series. 

Can Los Angeles stave off elimination Wednesday night?

Kings vs. Oilers prediction

There’s really no secret to how Edmonton has raced out to a commanding lead in this series.

The Oilers have been lethal on the power play and are playing well enough at 5-on-5 to allow their special teams to be a difference-maker. 

So while the 18-10 aggregate scoreline in favor of Edmonton may look lopsided — and it is — that entire gulf is due to special teams.

The Kings are actually +1 (10 GF, 9GA) at 5-on-5. That isn’t meant to take away anything from Edmonton.

There was some skepticism about the Oilers’ 1-0 win in Game 4 (the only goal came on the power play) being fortunate, but that was a pretty strong defensive effort from the Oil.

It also was a massive performance from Stuart Skinner, who has clicked into form after a shaky first two performances in this series.

And it’s not like the Oilers are playing a team they should be dominating at 5-on-5.

The Kings were one of the best teams in the NHL at suppressing speed through the neutral zone this season and that’s the lifeblood of Edmonton’s offense at even strength.

This was always going to be a pretty tight series at 5-on-5 and it was going to come down to whether or not Los Angeles could win the goaltending battle and keep pace with the Oilers on special teams.

Those things haven’t happened for Los Angeles through four games.

Betting on the NHL?

The Oilers deserve to be chunky favorites in this contest and the edge on special teams is massive, but Los Angeles will still be a tough nut to crack.

This is strictly a numbers play on a strong defensive team that stands a good chance to win the 5-on-5 battle.

That makes Los Angeles a live underdog at this price.

The bet: Kings (+160, FanDuel Sportsbook)