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The New Jersey Devils (30-26-4) take on the Los Angeles Kings (30-19-10) Sunday at Crypto.com Arena. Puck drop is set for 3:30 p.m. ET (TNT). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Devils vs. Kings odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
The Devils can’t find a rhythm as they’ve cascaded wins and losses over the last 5 games. Their latest was a 4-3 setback in Anaheim as -296 favorites Friday. C Jack Hughes netted his 20th goal with an assist. He has scored in 2 straight. They remain 8 points out of a Wild Card spot.
The Kings hold the 2nd Wild Card spot in the West, 2 points behind the surging Nashville Predators for the top spot. They upended the top-seeded Vancouver Canucks 5-1 Thursday to cap a 3-game road trip they went 1-2 on. RD Drew Doughty netted his 14th goal to go with 2 assists. He has points in 3 of 4 games. His 14 goals are the most he has had since 2015-16, and he’s 2 off of his career high.
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Devils at Kings odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:15 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Devils +110 (bet $100 to win $110) | Kings -130 (bet $130 to win $100)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Devils +1.5 (-225) | Kings -1.5 (+180)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: -105 | U: -115)
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Devils at Kings projected goalies
Nico Daws (8-9-0, 3.33 GAA, .892 SV%) vs. David Rittich (9-4-3, 2.32 GAA, .914 SV%, 1 SO)
Daws was between the pipes for the Friday loss in Anaheim. He only stopped 10 of 14 before being pulled near the end of the 2nd period. He went 5-3-0 with a 3.02 GAA and .899 SV% in 8 starts. One of those was a 2-1 loss to these Kings Feb. 15, stopping 27 of 29.
Rittich was last in goal Monday for a 4-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. He stopped 27 of 31 to end the month on a sour note after he really solidified a messy tendy situation in January. He went 4-3-0 with a 2.68 GAA and .898 SV% last month. He was between the pipes in the Feb. 17 2-1 win over Jersey, stopping 26 of 27.
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Devils at Kings picks and predictions
Prediction
Devils 4, Kings 3
Moneyline
The Kings are skating without 1 of their best players in C Adrian Kempe, who is out with an upper-body injury. The Kings have won just 2 of 5, but they have the Calgary Flames and St. Louis Blues just 5 points behind them for that playoff spot.
One important thing to consider, the Devils should actually be more acclimated than LA. Jersey has been on the West Coast since its Wednesday game against San Jose, whereas the Kings are coming off a “tour de Canada.” I don’t like Jersey’s tendy situation, which makes this a toss-up. But I like their offense much better than the Kings’, and they won the last meeting in LA.
Take a shot at DEVILS +110.
Puck line/Against the spread
If you’re on board with the away team, I was a little surprised to see DEVILS ML + OVER 4.5 TOTAL GOALS (+155) at such a good price. Outside of the last meeting, we had 5+ goals in 4 straight matchups.
Over/Under
Jersey is 5-5 O/U over its last 10, and the Kings are 3-6-1. The Over has cashed in 2 of the last 3 matchups. I’m about 50-50 here, with my rationale the fact that Jersey is tied for 7th with 3.35 goals per game, despite missing star players on offense at different points of the season. It’s healthy on that front, but the tendy situation is no bueno.
Stick with the Devs/Over 4.5 proposition and PASS here.
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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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