The Los Angeles Kings (30-18-7) visit a familiar foe in the Anaheim Ducks (17-32-6) Friday. Puck drop from Honda Center is set for 9 p.m. ET (ESPN). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Kings vs. Ducks odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
The Kings enter on a 2-game win streak after defeating the Buffalo Sabres 5-2 Monday. Los Angeles has 3 wins in its last 5 games and is 3rd in a tight 4-team race for the Pacific Division title, trailing the division-leading Vegas Golden Knights by just 3 points. Los Angeles is 4-1 on the puck line in its last 5 outings, the sole defeat of more than 1 goal coming in a 5-2 drubbing at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Jan. 28.
The Ducks are on a 3-game losing skid after a 7-3 loss vs. the Sabres Wednesday. That loss marked their 4th in their last 5 games and remain in last place in the Pacific Divison; 3 of those 4 losses came by multiple goals.
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Kings at Ducks odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 7 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Kings -240 (bet $240 to win $100) | Ducks +200 (bet $100 to win $200)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Kings -1.5 (+100) | Ducks +1.5 (-120)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: -125 | U: +105)
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Kings at Ducks projected goalies
Jonathan Quick (8-12-4, 3.41 GAA, .881 SV%, 1 SO) vs. John Gibson (10-22-5, 4.05 GAA, .897 SV%)
Quick last saw action in a 5-2 loss at Tampa Bay Jan. 28, allowing 5 goals on just 20 shots. He may get the nod ahead of G Pheonix Copley (17-3-1) in the front end of a back-to-back set.
Gibson last started Sunday in a 7-2 loss vs. Vegas, allowing all 7 goals on just 39 shots in the defeat.
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Kings at Ducks picks and predictions
Prediction
Kings 5, Ducks 2
Moneyline
AVOID.
The Kings (-240) should win this game as heavy road favorites. Los Angeles is clearly the better team and has a 1-0 series lead after beating Anaheim 4-1 Dec. 20. However, the risk of nearly 2 1/2 times your potential return is not worth the reward.
Puck line/Against the spread
LEAN KINGS -1.5 (+100).
The Kings should beat this bad Anaheim team by a multiple-goal margin. The fact that they beat them by 3 goals earlier in the season is a good sign but this is only a lean because the Kings are a very mediocre ATS team despite their overall record. They are only 28-27 ATS on the season which is barely better than Anaheim’s 24-31 ATS record.
Over/Under
BET OVER 6.5 (-125).
The Over is the safer bet for both teams as of late. The Over is 4-0 in L.A.’s last 4 road games and 8-0 in its last 8 games following a win. For Anaheim, the Over is 4-0 in their last 4 Friday games and 7-0 in their last 7 after allowing 5 or more goals in their previous game.
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