Kraken vs. Kings Odds
| Kraken Odds | +180 |
| Kings Odds | -220 |
| Over/Under | 6 (-120/+100) |
| Time | 10:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
| Odds via BetMGM. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
We have a Pacific Division tilt as the eighth-place Seattle Kraken travel to Los Angeles to take on the second-place Kings on Saturday night. This is the second meeting between these teams this season as the Kings won the first matchup 3-1.
Will the Kings win and cover the puck line once again? Or can the Kraken keep this one closer?
Seattle Kraken
The Kraken will look to avenge this season's earlier loss to the Kings on the road — a place that has not been too friendly to them recently. Seattle is a mere 1-8 over its last nine road games when priced as the underdog.
The Kraken's biggest flaw this season has been their awful goaltending by Philipp Grubauer, who is the projected starter for this matchup. Somehow, Grubauer's numbers drop even further when playing on the road as he possesses a dreadful 0.884 save percentage away from home this season.
There is no reason to believe in any positive regression from Grubauer, who ranks dead-last among starting goaltenders in five-on-five goals saved above expected per 60 minutes (GSAx). We also should not expect any help from the Kraken offense, which averages just 2.56 goals scored per game over their last 16.
This statistic should also not come as a shock as the Kraken rank just 31st in the league in five-on-five expected goals for per 60 minutes (xGF). Their only three wins over their last eight games have come against Montreal, Detroit and Arizona — three teams that are much worse than Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings enter this contest following Thursday's 3-4 shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. I did pick the Kings to cover the 1.5-spread in that game, however, I am not afraid to give it another try in this matchup against a really poor Seattle club.
Los Angeles has been playing great hockey recently, specifically at home. Over their last nine home games when priced as the favorite, the Kings are 6-3 straight up and against the spread (ATS).
Cal Petersen is the projected starting goaltender for Los Angeles and will look to continue his good play on home ice. Over his last eight home starts, Petersen is 5-3 with a stellar 0.926 save percentage.
The Kings have the advantage in this matchup offensively, as well, ranking 10th in the league in five-on-five expected goals for per 60 minutes (xGF).
I do not expect the Kings' deep roster to struggle against Grubauer.
Kraken vs. Kings Pick
We saw the Kings win by two goals in their first matchup against the Kraken, and I don't see any reason we should not expect a similar result this time around. Plus, the Kings now have the advantage of playing on home ice.
Los Angeles has a better roster, better goaltender and better analytics. Don't overthink this one.
Pick: Kings -1.5 (-105) | Play to -120
