The Vegas Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings will wrap up a two-game set in Nevada on Wednesday after the Knights took the first game by a convincing score of 4-1 on Monday.
Vegas is battling the Avalanche for first place in the West Division and can’t afford to be looking past the sixth-place Kings with the third-place Wild visiting on Thursday. Oddsmakers have the home side as a heavy -225 favorite with the total opening at a flat 5.5.
Here are our free picks and predictions for Los Angeles Kings vs. Vegas Golden Knights for Wednesday, March 31 (10:00 p.m. ET).
Kings vs Golden Knights odds
NHL sharp money and line movement report
By Patrick EversonVegas opened a healthy -225 favorite at TwinSpires and is down a few cents to -220 as of 8:15 p.m. ET. However, the Golden Knights are attracting 77 percent of moneyline bets and 80 percent of moneyline cash. The total is stable at 5.5, with 56 percent of bets/62 percent of money on the Over.
Check out the full line movement for this gameLos Angeles Kings at Vegas Golden Knights betting preview
Injuries
Kings: Martin Frk F (Out), Brendan Lemieux F (Out), Olli Maatta D (Out).
Golden Knights: Alex Pietrangelo D (Out).
Find our latest NHL injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Under is 6-1 in the Kings’ last seven games as an underdog. Find more NHL betting trends for Kings vs. Golden Knights.
Moneyline pick
The Knights have had their way with the Kings this year taking four of the five matchups, with all four victories coming in regulation. Despite the success, at -225 and on the frontend of a back-to-back, Vegas does not look as appetizing as usual.
For starters, the Knights have a big matchup on Thursday versus the third-place Wild. The quick turnaround is one thing, but the Wild beat the Knights twice in mid-March and Vegas will be looking to bounce back against a possible playoff opponent. The Knights are 12-4 SU this month — those losses to Minnesota meant something to Vegas.
Secondly, the Kings will likely start promising young goalie Cal Petersen. The 26-year-old netminder boasts a .923 save percentage this season, which ranks ninth in the league. Peterson can steal a game, as he also sits fourth in high-danger save percentage and eighth in goals saved above average.
The L.A. goalie has fared well against the division’s best this season, as well. In his two starts versus Vegas, Petersen is 1-1 SU with a 2.29 goals against average and a .941 save percentage. Those are spectacular splits if you’re looking for reasons to ride a big underdog.
The Kings are also coming into Wednesday’s tilt well-rested, as the visitors will be playing just their second game since March 24 and don’t play again until Friday at home.
Lastly, the Kings’ penalty-kill matches up well against the Knights’ power-play — possibly Vegas’ only weakness. Despite the sub-500 season, the Kings roll out the league’s No. 4 penalty-kill while Vegas has improved of late, but still has a bottom-10 PP. The Kings have held Vegas to a single PP goal over the last 10 opportunities.
Sometimes, when we see a +187, we need to find ways to convince ourselves to roll the dice on some of that beautiful NHL plus money. The Kings are 7-9 SU as +140 or more underdogs on the season.
PREDICTION: Los Angeles ML (+187)
Over/Under pick
Both clubs are fairly neutral in O/U on the season, at a combined 34-31 to the Over. However, the Kings are riding a bit of an Under streak, going 2-6 O/U over their last eight games, as the offense is scoring just two goals per game over that stretch.
Petersen has allowed exactly one goal in three of his last five starts and will come into Wednesday’s match clear-headed, with six full days of rest between starts. For his career, the Kings’ goalie owns a 2.01 GAA to go along with a .939 save percentage with three or more days of rest. Some netminders’ numbers skyrocket with time off, but Petersen has been brilliant with plenty of rest.
We’ve already touched on the power-play troubles the Knights have endured this year. Vegas is having its best month with the man advantage this season and still is scoring at just 21.3 percent, which is league average for the month.
Both clubs sport Top-6 PK units on the year. Vegas is even better at killing penalties at home, with the league’s fourth-best home mark while the Kings surprisingly have the league’s No. 2 road PK. We aren’t expecting many PP goals on Wednesday, especially with both teams in the bottom half of the league in penalties taken per game.
We don’t love playing Under 5.5, but in a game that is featuring a great goaltender for the underdog and two of the league’s best penalty-killers, we have to ride the lightning on this midweek nightcap.
PREDICTION: Under 5.5 (-110)
Kings vs Golden Knights betting card
- Los Angeles ML (+187)
- Under 5.5 (-110)
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