Kings vs. Islanders Odds
Kings Odds | +120 |
Islanders Odds | -140 |
Over/Under | 5 (-135 / +115) |
Time | 7 p.m. ET |
TV | ESPN+ | Hulu |
Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. |
The Pacific Division's third-place Los Angeles Kings head to UBS Arena to take on the Islanders on the second-leg of their New York trip. The Kings lost to the Rangers in a shootout on Monday night and are looking for a bounce-back performance.
Meanwhile, the Isles are looking to build off of their 4-3 win over the lowly Flyers on Tuesday, despite a rare bad performance from goaltender Ilya Sorokin. The Islanders are starting to turn their season around, winning seven of their last 10 games.
Can the Isles start a winning streak tonight, or will the Kings grab two points in this cross-country tilt?
Quick's Play Powers Kings Betting Trend
The Kings played a good game Monday night in New York but just could not get past Vezina Trophy favorite Igor Shesterkin, who stopped 34 of 36 shots. The Kings also got a great performance from Jonathan Quick between the pipes.
Quick has been the story of the season for Los Angeles, posting a 0.914 save percentage and ranking second among starting goalies in 5-on-5 goals saved above expected per 60 minutes (GSAx). Quick has been getting even better as the season has progressed, allowing more than three goals just three times in his last 14 games.
The Kings' defensive unit in front of Quick has also played some good hockey this season, primarily in smothering shooting opportunities. Los Angeles ranks eighth in 5-on-5 shots against on net percentage.
Bettors who like to play unders know how detrimental penalties can be, which is why it's also worth noting tonight that the Kings have an awful power play unit that ranks 26th in the league. Speaking of unders, the total has gone under 5.5 in six of Los Angeles' last nine games.
Sorokin Thriving Between Pipes
Like the Kings, the under has been a hot trend for New York. The total has gone under 5.5 in nine of the Islanders' last 12 games.
Another similarity the Islanders have with the Kings is that New York also has an extremely strong goaltender expected to start this game in Sorokin. The young netminder has been awesome for the Isles this season, posting a 0.926 save percentage and currently ranking fourth amongst starting goalies in 5-on-5 GSAx.
Just like Quick, Sorokin has been dialed in of late. Over his last 13 games, Sorokin has allowed more than three goals only once.
I have talked about this before, but Barry Trotz's grit-and-grind defensive system is just a nuisance to play against. The Islanders currently rank sixth in 5-on-5 shots against on net percentage.
Similar to Los Angeles, the Islanders struggle with the man advantage, as they rank just 24th in the league in power play percentage.
Kings vs. Islanders Pick
We have two solid defenses squaring off tonight with two elite goaltenders who both rank in the top four amongst starters in 5-on-5 GSAx.
I like a goalie battle tonight, similar to what we saw between the Kings and Rangers on Monday. The metrics support the under, the trends support the under, and the teams' styles support the under.
Currently, the total opened at 5 at the DraftKings. However, I would rather bet u5.5 between -115 and -125 when the alternate line drops on the day of the game than u5 at +115.
Pick: Under 5.5 (Play at -125 or better)