The LA Kings and the Edmonton Oilers meet in Game 6 of their Western Conference best-of-7, first-round series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs Thursday. Puck drop is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET (ESPN). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NHL odds around the Kings vs. Oilers odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.

Series: Oilers lead 3-2

The Kings won the first 2 games of this series in LA, including a 6-2 rout in Game 2, and things appeared to be headed for a short series. The Oilers had other ideas.

In Game 3 in Edmonton, Kings coach Jim Hiller had an ill-advised challenge of a game-tying goal by Oilers LW Evander Kane in the third period in a fracas in front of the net. The challenge led to a 2-minute minor penalty for delay of game, and Oilers D Evan Bouchard immediately cashed in — 10 seconds later — with a power-play goal for a 5-4 lead with 6:32 to go. The Oilers added 2 empty-netters in the final 1:40 for a 7-4 win, and they haven’t lost since.

Edmonton’s 3 straight victories — 4-3 in OT at home in Game 4 Sunday and 3-1 in Game 5 Tuesday in Los Angeles — has pushed LA to the brink. The win streak also coincides with Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch switching gears, going with G Calvin Pickard in net the last 3 games rather than the ineffective G Stuart Skinner.

Pickard allowed just 1 goal, a power-play score by LW Andrei Kuzmenko, on 22 shots in Tuesday’s 3-1 Game 4 victory. It was a hard-luck loss for Kings G Darcy Kuemper, who stopped 43 of 45 shots. Kane tied it 6:16 into the second period and C Mattias Janmark gave the Oilers a 2-1 lead 7:12 into the third — both even-strength goals — before C Ryan Nugent-Hopkins tucked in an empty-netter.

These teams have met in 4 consecutive first-round playoff series. Edmonton won in 7 games in 2022, won in 6 games in 2023, and won in 5 games last season enroute to an appearance in the Stanley Cup Final. The Oilers have won 6 straight playoff series against the Kings since 1990, and 8 of 10 postseason series vs. the Kings dating back to 1982.

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Kings at Oilers odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 5:35 p.m. ET.

Moneyline (ML): Kings +145 (bet $100 to win $145) | Oilers -175 (bet $175 to win $100)Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Kings +1.5 (-180) | Oilers -1.5 (+150)Over/Under (O/U): 6 (O: -120 | U: +100)Kings at Oilers projected goalies

Darcy Kuemper (31-11-7, 2.02 GAA, .922 SV%, 5 SO — regular season) vs. Calvin Pickard (22-10-1, 2.71 GAA, .900 SV%, 0 SO — regular season)

Kuemper probably deserved a better fate in Game 5, but the offense was non-supportive, with just the lone Kuzmenko goal. The Oilers were bombarding the Los Angeles cage with all kinds of rubber, as Kuemper faced 40-plus shots for the second consecutive game. He was tasked with 44 saves on 48 shots in Sunday’s 4-3 OT loss in Game 4.

Pickard turned back 21 of 22 shots in a Game 5 win in LA, and he has allowed just 8 goals in his past 3 starts, all playoff victory against the Kings. He is 3-0-0 with a 2.62 GAA and .904 SV% in 3 starts and 1 relief appearance in this series.

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Kings at Oilers picks and predictionsPrediction

Oilers 3, Kings 2

The OILERS (-175) are a little on the pricey side for Game 6, but given the team’s dominance in recent playoff history, the fact Edmonton steams in with 3 straight wins, and the Oilers having the most gifted player on the planet, all signs point toward an Edmonton victory.

The Kings are going to leave this series wondering what could have been … if they do go on to lose it. They had things going in a positive direction, but everything changed with the ill-advised challenge back in Game 3.

LA +1.5 (-180) is a little on the pricey side, so at first glance, the play is to AVOID.

However, if you’re able to toss this into a multi-leg parlay, or play Kings straight using a boost/promo to work the price down, that is perfectly acceptable.

The UNDER 6 (+100) is the LEAN, but don’t get carried away.

We saw fire-wagon hockey in the first 4 installments in this series, but we started to see symptoms of defense in Game 4. In Game 5, things tightened up considerably, with 4 total combined goals.

As a series goes on, even wide-open series can dramatically turn and get defensive the later they go, especially as the hitting, physicality and checking picks up.

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