The Los Angeles Kings (11-8-6) are visiting Ball Arena for a two-game set against the Colorado Avalanche (14-8-2) beginning Friday with a 9 p.m. ET puck drop. Below, we analyze the Kings-Avalanche odds and lines, with NHL picks and predictions.
The Kings are coming off a 5-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks Wednesday. They lost the first half of that two-game set by a 6-5 count in overtime. Three of the Kings’ last four games went to an extra session, and they’re just 2-3-2 in their last seven games.
The Avalanche have also been playing plenty of extra hockey of late, going to overtime in three of their last four games. They went 2-1 in those contests but also took a 3-2 loss in regulation against the Arizona Coyotes within their last four games. They rebounded to top the Coyotes 2-1 in OT Wednesday.
Kings at Avalanche: Odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:35 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Kings +190 (bet $100 to win $190) | Avalanche -225 (bet $225 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Kings +1.5 (-145) | Avalanche -1.5 (+120)
- Over/Under: 5.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
Kings at Avalanche: Projected starting goalies
Troy Grosenick (1-0-0, .971 SV%, 1.00 GAA) vs. Philipp Grubauer (13-7-0, .917 SV%, 2.05 GAA)
Grosenick stepped in to start Wednesday’s game against the Ducks and stopped 33 of 34 shots in his first game and victory since the 2014-15 season (with the San Jose Sharks). Backup Calvin Petersen was placed on the league’s COVID-19 list and starter Jonathan Quick is questionable due to an upper-body injury.
Grubauer faced just 14 shots and made 13 saves in Wednesday’s win over the Coyotes. He has three victories in his last four games following a stretch of losing three of four games.
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Kings at Avalanche: Odds, lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Avalanche 5, Kings 2
Money line (ML)
The Avalanche (-225) should win this game as one of the preseason and current favorites to win the Stanley Cup against the expected cellar-dwelling Kings but Colorado has been spinning the tires of late and is just 2-1-1 through the first four games of a nine-game homestand.
The Avs are a disappointing fourth in the West Division and the Kings are a surprising fifth.
PASS on a money line bet at the chalky price, even with Grosenick expected to start for just the second time since 2014-15 for L.A.
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Against the spread (ATS)
The AVALANCHE -1.5 (+120) should be backed to win by 2 or more goals for a proper profit. They lead the NHL with a 5-on-5 Corsi For percentage of 57.43, while the Kings are 14th at 49.77% of the total shot attempts at full strength in their games.
Colorado also has an expected goals for percentage of 55.93 to Los Angeles’ 46.88% xGF.
Over/Under (O/U)
Back the OVER 5.5 (-115) for a combined goal total of 6 or more.
The Avs score 3.00 goals per game and will give Grosenick a much stiffer test than the Sharks did in his previous start.
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