by Rod Pearson
Wednesday, Feb 25, 2026
Game Time: 10:30 pm ET, Thursday, February 26, 2026
Venue: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Where to Watch: ESPN
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Moneyline: Oilers -110, Kings -110; Over/Under: 6.5 goals
Bet365: Moneyline: Oilers -110, Kings -110; Over/Under: 6.5 goals
BetMGM: Moneyline: Oilers -110, Kings -110; Over/Under: 6.5 goals
Season Record
Edmonton Oilers: 28-22-8 (2nd place, Pacific Division)
Los Angeles Kings: 23-19-14 (5th place, Pacific Division)
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Recent Form
Edmonton Oilers: 5-5-0 last 10
Los Angeles Kings: 4-3-3 last 10
Edmonton Oilers vs Los Angeles Kings Preview and Analysis
The Oilers are entering this game with 64 points, a 28-22-8 record overall, and they are 13-12-4 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the Calgary Flames in their last game, losing that one on the road 4-3, but this is also the 2nd game of a back-to-back for them with their game against the Anaheim Ducks still to be played on Wednesday night. In their game against the Flames, Leon Draisaitl led the team in goals scored with 2 while Kasperi Kapanen scored 1 goal for them in that one. Evan Bouchard led the team in assists with 3 while Connor McDavid led the team in shots on net in that game with 8. Tristan Jarry was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 4 goals on 25 shots with 21 saves and a .840 save percentage. Their offense has scored 198 goals this season averaging 3.4 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 194 goals against them allowing 3.3 goals per game.
The Kings are entering this game with 60 points, a 23-19-14 record overall, and they are 8-11-7 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the Vegas Golden Knights in their last game, losing that one on the road 4-1, but this is also the 2nd game of a back-to-back for them with another game against the Golden Knights still to be played on Wednesday night. In that first game against the Golden Knights, Trevor Moore scored 1 goal for them in that one. Anže Kopitar and Joel Armia each led the team in assists with 1 while Quinton Byfield led the team in shots on net in that game with 5. Anton Forsberg was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 4 goals on 22 shots with 18 saves and a .818 sv percentage. Their offense has scored 146 goals this season averaging 2.6 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 161 goals against them allowing 2.9 goals per game.
Oilers vs Kings Prediction
The current betting odds have the Kings listed as a pick 'em in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Kings haven't looked great in their games this season with their 23-19-14 record overall which has them in the bottom half of their division in the West. They haven't looked good on home ice either with their 8-11-7 home record this season. Meanwhile, the Oilers have looked good in their games this season with their 28-22-8 record overall which has them right near the top of their division in the West. They haven't been a good road team though with their 13-12-4 road record this year. The Oilers didn't look great going into the Olympic Break as they are 5-5-0 in their last 10 games and went into the break off a 4-3 loss to their rival, the Flames. The Kings haven't looked any better though as they are 4-3-3 in their last 10 games and went into the break off a 4-1 loss to the Golden Knights. Both teams will be looking to play better coming out of the break, but neither team is in a great situation here. Both teams are playing this game on a back-to-back and neither have an easy game the night before, the Oilers playing against the Ducks and the Kings playing against the Golden Knights. The Kings have been terrible at home this season, but the Oilers had some key players that went deep into the Olympic Break and might not be ready to go in this one. The Kings also have the slight advantage being at home, as bad as they have been there, and they don't have to travel on the back-to-back either with both games being at home. The Kings have the slight edge in this game, also needing the game way more since they are in the Wild Card race, and they will bring their best effort for the team that kicked them out of the playoffs last year. The best way to place a bet here is on the Kings to win this game.
Oilers Kings Prediction: Our NHL Pick for Thursday, February 26, 2026 (10:30 pm ET start time) is Kings 5 Oilers 4.
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NHL Betting Trends
Edmonton Oilers: 90-72 (-18.7 units) on the moneyline in all games. 53-43 (-11.7 units) on the moneyline as a favorite of -200 or less. 33-31 (-7.3 units) on the moneyline revenging a loss versus opponent as a favorite. 28-14 UNDER as a road favorite of -200 or less.
Los Angeles Kings: 48-38 (+4.1 units) on the moneyline against explosive offensive teams - scoring 3+ goals/game. 48-39 (+3.4 units) on the moneyline against good passing teams - averaging 5 or more assists per game. 7-2 (+4.3 units) on the moneyline when playing 3 or less games in 10 days. 26-18 UNDER as a home favorite of -200 or less.
Key Injuries
Edmonton Oilers: K. Kapanen (RW) Out - Undisclosed. A. Henrique (C) Day To Day - Undisclosed.
Los Angeles Kings: K. Fiala (LW) Out For Season - Leg. M. Anderson (D) Day To Day - Upper-Body. A. Turcotte (C) Day To Day - Upper-body. A. Kuzmenko (LW) Day To Day - Upper Body.
Notable Quotes
“Yeah, I guess it all depends on numerous things. Playing in the back-to-back would be difficult, and for him to play 23-24 minutes in back-to-back games after the Olympics, travelling from Europe? I don’t think that’s putting him in a very good position to help us.” - Kris Knoblauch on when Connor McDavid will return to the lineup after the Olympic break.
“Panarin is going to be the player who has the puck, primarily, and is running that power play. So, it’s how do we give him the most amount of options.” - Jim Hiller on the addition of Artemi Panarin.
Starting Lineups
Edmonton Oilers
LW Vasily Podkolzin
C Connor McDavid
RW Zach Hyman
LD Mattias Ekholm
RD Evan Bouchard
G Tristan Jarry
Los Angeles Kings
LW Quinton Byfield
C Anze Kopitar
RW Trevor Moore
LD Brian Dumoulin
RD Drew Doughty
G Darcy Kuemper
Statistical Leaders
Edmonton Oilers
Points: Connor McDavid (96)
Goals: Connor McDavid (34)
Assists: Connor McDavid (62)
GAA: Connor Ingram (2.67)
Los Angeles Kings
Points: Adrian Kempe (46)
Goals: Adrian Kempe (20)
Assists: Adrian Kempe (26)
GAA: Anton Forsberg (2.57)
Coaches:
Edmonton Oilers: Kris Knoblauch (3rd season)
Los Angeles Kings: Jim Hiller (3rd season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
