The Los Angeles Kings take on the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight at PPG Paints Arena, with the Kings holding a slight edge as -145 favorites on the moneyline.
The Penguins, on the other hand, are sitting at +120 and will look to defy expectations on their home ice.
With this game being one of the better NHL games for the night, we’ve got our bold prediction and best bet that you won’t want to miss.
Moneyline: Kings -145 | Penguins +120
Puck Line: Kings -1.5 (+170) | Penguins +1.5 (-210)
Total Points: O/U 6 (Over -105, Under -115)
The Kings sit comfortably near the top of the Pacific Division with their 18-9-3 record and have been fairly solid on the road. They’ve been looking great lately and show no signs of slowing down.
Pittsburgh, meanwhile, has had a mixed season so far at 13-14-5 and they’re struggling to find consistency despite moments of some offensive flair. Can they pull off the upset tonight? It’ll be an uphill battle, but we think they might just keep this game close.
The Kings are 4-1 in their last 5 games. This included an impressive 5-1 win over the dominant New York Rangers a couple of nights ago.
Pittsburgh isn’t looking as good with a 2-3 record in its last 5 games, including a disappointing 3-2 loss to Ottawa. The Kings have momentum heading into tonight’s matchup, while the Penguins are just looking to find a bit of rhythm.
Despite how these teams are looking as far as their records are concerned, they do have a few injuries that may affect the outcome of this game.
Los Angeles: Missing key contributors Trevor Moore and Trevor Lewis. This will undoubtedly affect their forward depth.
Pittsburgh: Marcus Pettersson remains week-to-week which is a huge blow to their defensive core and he won’t be playing tonight.
The Kings boast better depth when it comes to scoring. With Adrian Kempe (15 goals) and Anze Kopitar (34 points) leading the charge, once the Kings get the puck in the zone it’s hard to stop them. They’re not nearly as good on the power play with only a 15.9% success rate, but they still find the back of the net when even strength.
Meanwhile, Sidney Crosby (22 assists) remains the Penguins’ anchor. The team has struggled to find secondary scoring as they can’t seem to get many SOGs. They currently sit at 20th in the NHL for shooting percentage, but their power play unit is pretty hot at 23.1% which is good for 11th in the NHL.
Here’s where the Kings really shine. They rank 1st in the NHL in goals against with a low 75 goals allowed. On top of that, their PK unit is solid at 81.3%.
Pittsburgh has been, for the most part, sloppy defensively, ranking 32nd in goals allowed with 119. This, of course, puts immense pressure on goaltender Tristan Jarry who sits at a dismal 3.59 GAA.
So, how do the netminders stack up? It’s pretty much night and day.
David Rittich (Kings): 10-7-0, 2.49 GAA
Tristan Jarry (Penguins): 6-3-3, 3.59 GAA
The numbers tell the story—Rittich has been more reliable between the pipes. Jarry, who’s had a rough season so far, faces a tough task against the Kings' balanced attack.
The Kings come into tonight’s matchup as the clear favorites, and it’s easy to see why.
Their defense is the best in the league, and their recent form has been nothing shy of outstanding.
Pittsburgh’s inability to stop goals, paired with their inconsistent offensive production outside of Crosby, will make it tough for the Penguins to keep pace.
Best Bet: Take the Kings moneyline (-145)
Their road dominance and defensive edge will prove too much for a struggling Penguins team. For a little extra value, you might want to consider the Kings -1.5 (+170). A multi-goal win is a real possibility here, especially with the chance of a couple of empty net goals at the end.
BettorsInsider Prediction: Kings 4, Penguins 2
We’re expecting Los Angeles to control the pace of the game and continue their strong road campaign in Pittsburgh.