Kings vs Coyotes Odds
| Kings Odds | -130 |
| Coyotes Odds | +108 |
| Over / Under | 6.5 +TBA / +TBA |
When Los Angeles and Arizona met Tuesday, the Kings won decisively. The same teams will play Friday with the only major difference being that this contest will be held in Arizona. That might not seem like enough to swing things, but the Coyotes were 21-15-5 at home last year versus 7-25-9 on the road, so perhaps it's best not to dismiss Arizona out of hand. This contest deserves a deeper dive.
Los Angeles Kings
The Kings beat Arizona on Tuesday thanks to their scoring depth as six different forwards found the back of the net. That hasn't been unusual for Los Angeles this year as the Kings have done a great job of sharing the wealth.
Between Anze Kopitar, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Phillip Danault, the Kings have three great centers that form the backbone of their balanced attack. In fact, Los Angeles' offense is so well spread out that their top three scorers — Kevin Fiala, Kopitar and Trevor Moore — each play on a different line. Moore is leading the Kings in terms of goals scored with five in six contests, but he's on the third unit. Meanwhile, 14 different Kings have contributed at least one goal through six games.
That kind of relentless attack spreads defenses thin and has led to LA averaging 4.50 goals per game, the second-most in the NHL.
Now, if only the Kings had goaltending. Cam Talbot has disappointed with a 3.03 GAA and a .900 save percentage in four contests, but Pheonix Copley has been even worse, posting a 3.87 GAA and an .826 save percentage. Los Angeles has the lowest 5v5 expected goals against in the league at just 9.46, but even with all that offensive support and strong defense, the Kings are a mediocre 3-2-1 because of their netminders.
Arizona Coyotes
Arizona has problems of its own, but goaltending hasn't been one. The 6-3 loss to Los Angeles was just the second time in six contests that the Coyotes had surrendered three or more goals.
Instead, the Coyotes' issue has been their offense. In contrast to the Kings' ability to run three high-end scoring lines, Arizona is lucky if they can have two units going at any given time. Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz have excelled on the top line, combining for six goals and 14 points through six outings.
The Coyotes also have Logan Cooley, who has contributed five assists. Cooley typically centers the second line, but all five of his helpers are thanks to his position on the top power-play unit. If we're looking purely at even-strength numbers, Arizona's second line of Cooley, Matias Maccelli and Alex Kerfoot has combined for no goals and one assist this season. Ouch.
No wonder Arizona ranks 25th offensively with 2.50 goals per game.
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Kings vs. Coyotes
Betting Pick & Prediction
What happens when a poor offense meets lackluster goaltending? On Tuesday, the answer was three goals. That's better than the Coyotes can usually muster, but if it's going to be enough tonight, Arizona will need to hold Los Angeles to two goals.
So far, only Colorado and Boston have managed to limit the Kings to a pair of goals, and the Bruins and Avalanche are two of the four best teams in terms of goals allowed per game this season. Arizona is no slouch in that category (tied for sixth while allowing an average of 2.50), but it's still the Coyotes have their work cut out for them.
It's also worth remembering that Arizona has likely overperformed so far this season. The Coyotes, a team that finished 28-40-14 last season, are still more of a rebuilding squad, while the Kings should be regarded as serious playoff contenders. Even with the game being played in Arizona, Los Angeles should be seen as a healthy favorite.
I think the Kings' -130 moneyline price is somewhat generous, and I feel good enough about them to push things further by recommending Los Angeles on the puck line. I think chasing the higher potential return is worth it given the difference between these offenses. Bet the Kings on the puck line and play them down to +175.
