The Edmonton Oilers return home on Friday facing a tough 0-2 deficit against the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Kings secured a narrow 6-5 victory in Game 1 and followed it up with a commanding 6-2 win on Wednesday. For the Oilers to keep their Stanley Cup aspirations alive, Game 3 is absolutely crucial. Edmonton had a strong 25-13-3 record at home during the regular season, while the Kings were less dominant on the road at 17-19-5.
According to SportsLine consensus odds, the Oilers are favored at home with a -148 moneyline (requiring a $148 bet to win $100), while the Kings are the underdogs at +124. The total goals line (over/under) is set at six.
If the Oilers hope to turn this series around, their star players must deliver significant performances. Edmonton boasts arguably the world`s best player in Connor McDavid, alongside another elite talent in Leon Draisaitl. McDavid reached the 100-point mark for the eighth time in his career despite missing 15 games, while Draisaitl led the entire NHL with 52 goals despite sitting out 11 contests. In the first two playoff games, McDavid has accumulated four points, and Draisaitl has added three, including two goals. These two players are central to Friday`s recommended NHL same-game parlay, which was developed using insights from the SportsLine Projection Model. Notably, all three individual prop bets included in this parlay have received 5-star ratings from the model.
Here are the three top-rated player prop picks from the SportsLine model for Friday`s Kings-Oilers Game 3 matchup, along with the potential payout if combined into a same-game parlay:
- Kings-Oilers SGP (+406)
- Connor McDavid Over 2.5 shots on goal (-130): 5 stars
- Connor McDavid Under 1.5 total points (-125): 5 stars
- Leon Draisaitl Under 1.5 total points (-170): 5 stars
The model predicts McDavid will register a high number of shots on Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper but expects a more modest scoring output from him. The model favors McDavid going Over his 2.5 shots on goal prop with a projection of 3.5. McDavid has averaged 4.2 shots on goal in his last five home games where the Oilers were favorites, exceeding this prop line in four of those contests. However, regarding points, the model projects the Edmonton captain to finish Friday with just 0.4 total points, falling short of his 1.5 line. McDavid has gone Under his total points prop in five of his last eight games against opponents with a winning record.
The model also recommends taking the Under for Edmonton`s other offensive superstar, Leon Draisaitl. His total points prop is also set at 1.5, and the model forecasts him to record 0.6 points against the Kings in Game 3. Draisaitl has finished Under his total points prop in four of his last five games facing teams with a winning record, averaging 1.2 total points over that span.
Elton Marrow