[gambcom-standard rankid=”4141″ ]
The LA Kings (17-8-3) visit the New Jersey Devils (18-10-3) for a Thursday tussle in Newark. Puck drop at the Prudential Center is 7 p.m. (ESPN+).Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s NHL odds around the Kings vs. Devils odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
Season series: First meeting; LA won both games last season
Los Angeles opened a 6-game road trip Tuesday at the New York Islanders. The Kings outshot the Isles 30-20 in a 3-1 triumph. LA heads into this game on a 6-game win streak; the Kings have allowed just 8 goals along the way.
The Devils are playing the fourth contest of a 5-game home stand. On Tuesday, New Jersey dropped a 2-1 overtime game to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Devils are thus far 1-1-1 on the stand. A New Jersey squad that went 8-3-0, averaging 3.64 goals per game, from Nov. 12-Dec. 6 has scored just 1 goal over its last 2 contests.
Stream the NHL all season on ESPN+, with your team’s out-of-market games, exclusive games, originals and more. Get ESPN+ now!
Kings at Devils odds
Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of NHL odds. Lines last updated Wednesday at 8:35 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Kings +130 (bet $100 to win $130) | Devils -156 (bet $156 to win $100)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Kings +1.5 (-205) | Devils -1.5 (+164)
- Over/Under (O/U): 5.5 (O: -122 | U: +100)
[gambcom-standard rankid=”4132″ ]
Kings at Devils projected goalies
Darcy Kuemper (6-2-3, 2.37 GAA, .910 SV%) vs. Jacob Markstrom (13-6-2, 2.48 GAA, .906 SV%)
Kuemper stopped 19-of-20 pucks in Tuesday’s conquest on Long Island. He owns a .933 SV% across his last 4 games.
Markstrom made 14 saves and allowed 2 goals in Tuesday’s overtime battle against the Leafs. The 34-year-old has struggled on home ice, logging an .875 SV% in nine games.
Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!
Kings at Devils picks and predictions
Prediction
Devils 4, Kings 3
Moneyline
Both clubs have exhibited improved play of late, upping their expected-goals percentages over the last 10 games. But that improved play has not shown up as much in the Devils’ recent won-lost mark.
New Jersey, which has outshot foes in 5 of its last 6 losses, has been a significant expected-goals plus (5-on-5) in 7 of its last 8 games. The Devils have simply come up empty on high-danger looks in their last 2 games and have come up short (and likely unluckily so) in that department over the last couple weeks or so.
Add in New Jersey being the better club at both ends of the special-teams spectrum, and the Devils are the leverage side of this price offering.
On one-day rest, LA has gone 6-6-2 with 2.71 average goals for and 3.43 against. The Devils have gone 11-5-2 (3.22-2.67) in such situations.
The Kings have been going along well but are likely getting too much of a bite on the probability of this match-up. BET NEW JERSEY (-156).
Puck line/Against the spread
No interest: PASS.
Over/Under
Its just a slight margin with which to work here, but both offenses have cranked out better opportunities lately than what shows in goal counts. Consider a partial-unit play on the OVER 5.5 (-122).
[gambcom-standard rankid=”6305″ ]
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1369]
