The Dallas Stars are hitting the road to face the Los Angeles Kings tonight at the Crypto.com Arena and we’re excited about this matchup. Both teams are coming into this game riding 3-game winning streaks and looking to keep that momentum going.
The Stars are slight favorites for this game on the moneyline at -120, while the Kings are listed at an even +100. This just goes to show that even the bookmakers think this will be a tight contest.
The over/under is set at 5.5 goals even with both teams having some of the strongest offenses in the league. On paper, it seems that the defenses might be the highlight in this one.
Dallas has been solid overall this season. They’re sporting a 16-8 record, but their 6-6 record on the road points out that they have a bit of inconsistency away from home. That might be their weak spot for tonight.
The Stars' offense is led by Matt Duchene, who has racked up a whopping 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists) in just 24 games. He’s smoking hot out there. Meanwhile, goalie Jake Oettinger has been a brick wall, with a 2.4 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage. That puts him in the top 10 of the NHL.
Sure, the Stars have a thing for winning it in close games, averaging 3.4 goals while allowing 2.5 goals against per game, but, their 9-12-3 record against the over/under tells us that their games often fall short of expected scoring.
The Kings with their 14-8-3 record have been excellent at home with an 8-2-1 record at Crypto.com Arena. That’s not going to bode well for the Stars as they've won 72.7% of their games at this venue this season.
Los Angeles is led by veteran Anze Kopitar, who has tallied up a solid 29 points and remains one of the best playmakers in the league. Despite a bit of inconsistency from goalie David Rittich (2.5 goals-against average, .888 save percentage), the Kings have managed to hold opponents to an average of 2.7 goals per game. He might fall into the bottom half of NHL net minders, but the defense is what’s keeping the team afloat.
The most notable aspect of this game is that the Kings and their opponents have combined for an average of 5.8 goals per game in recent outings. That is slightly above tonight’s over/under. With these high-powered offenses, it might not be a bad bet. But more on that in a minute.
The Kings’ ability to convert home-ice advantage and offensive efficiency into wins makes them dangerous heading into tonight’s matchup.
Both teams are bringing some interesting trends into this matchup and they could give us some insight as to how this game will unfold.
Underdogs have covered the puck line in the Stars' last 13 visits to Crypto.com Arena.
The Kings' last 10 games have featured an average of 5.8 goals, aligning almost perfectly with the over/under total tonight.
Jason Robertson of Dallas has registered at least one point in each of the Stars' last 7 games against Los Angeles, so that might be a prop you want to take.
These trends are telling us this will most likely be a tightly contested game, with a slight edge toward higher-than-expected scoring given the offensive capabilities on both sides of the ice.
This game features two balanced, yet dominant squads. However, the Kings’ home dominance cannot be ignored. Dallas has struggled on the road, and Los Angeles’ ability to control games at Crypto.com Arena gives them the upper hand for this game. On top of that, injuries to key Stars players, such as Tyler Seguin, could limit Dallas’ offensive output.
The Kings’ home form paired with their recent offensive cohesion, makes them a solid bet — at even odds. We expect a close contest, but Los Angeles should still come out on top in front of their home crowd against a weak road team.
For those leaning toward totals, the over 5.5 goals are also worth a look. After all, both teams' recent scoring trends seem to be heating up.