NBA Parlay Picks for Tuesday, April 4, 2023
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April 4, 2023On Tuesday night in what could be a peak into the future of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Last year LA and the Oil met in the postseason, with Edmonton taking a 7-game series. Since the All-Star break, the Kings and Oilers have been two of the best teams on the NHL Betting board. And if the season ended now, these two teams would clash in the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, both Edmonton and Los Angeles are in range of overtaking the Vegas Golden Knights to take the Pacific Division title. The division winner gets a less difficult wild card opponent.
NHL Free Picks – Edmonton Oilers at Los Angeles Kings
Faceoff time at Crypto.com Arena is at 10:30 p.m. ET with television coverage on ESPN.
The Edmonton Oilers are 45-23-9 straight up and 45-24-8 over/under the total. Also, Edmonton is 2nd in the Western Conference playoff standings. In the Western Conference playoff race, Edmonton is two points behind the Vegas Golden Knights. Late on, Edmonton has covered nine out of their last ten games. At the same time, the Oilers have gone under the Betting on the NHL total in two of its previous eight matchups.
Edmonton has NHL rankings of 1st for goals scored and 1st for power play efficiency. In comparison on defense, the Oilers have NHL rankings of 20th for goals against and 21st for penalty killing.
First among Edmonton scorers is Connor McDavid with 62 goals, 84 assists, 146 points, and a +17. Also, Leon Draisaitl has 50 goals, 70 assists, 120 points, and a +6. And then Ryan Nugent Hopkins adds 35 goals, with Zach Hyman adding 34 more. Defenseman Darnell Nurse brings 11 goals, 31 assists, 42 points, and a +20.
First goaltender Stuart Skinner has a .911 save percentage and 2.89 goals against average. His record is 25-14-5 with one shutout. Backup Jack Campbell has a .886 save percentage and 3.48 goals against average. Campbell is 20-9-4 with one shutout on the season.
Edmonton is the most skilled and offensively capable team in the NHL. Offsetting that is a questionable and inconsistent defense that fails to lock down opponents. Additionally, the Oilers have goaltending that is not proven as Stanley Cup-ready.
NHL Picks Today – Kings Aim for Crown
The Los Angeles Kings are 44-22-10 straight up and 398-33-4 over/under the total. Also, Los Angeles is 3rd in the Pacific Division playoff standings. In the Western Conference playoff race, LA is three points behind the Vegas Golden Knights. Late on, LA has covered four out of their last six games. In comparison, the Kings have gone under the total in six of its previous eight matchups.
Los Angeles has NHL rankings of 11th for goals scored and 4th for power play efficiency. In comparison on defense, the Kings have NHL rankings of 17th for goals against and 23rd for penalty killing.
First among Los Angeles scorers is Devin Fiala, with 23 goals, 49 assists, 72 points, and a +20. Also, Anze Kopitar has 26 goals, 40 assists, 66 points, and a +20. Additional support comes from Adrian Kempe, with 36 goals, 22 assists, 587 points, and a +22. Defenseman Drew Doughty remains one of the best in the game, with eight goals, 40 assists, 48 points, and a +13.
First goaltender Pheonix Copley has a .901 save percentage and 2.67 goals against average. His record is 24-4-3 with one shutout. Backup Joonas Korpisalo adds a .934 save percentage with a 1.86 goals against average. His record is 4-2-1 with no shutouts.
The Kings’ mediocre goals against ranking is somewhat deceptive. Since the All-Star break, the Kings have fully committed to the back end of the ice. And they have had great success. The question for Los Angeles is if their unproven goaltending is up to par for a Stanley Cup Playoff run.
Last Thursday night, the Oilers shut out the Kings 2-0. Edmonton is not known for tight defense or reliable goaltending. The Kings are an impressive 25-9-4 on home ice and will have the revenge angle on their side in this spot.
BetMaker Best Bet: Los Angeles Kings
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