In a game that features two of the league’s top penalty-kill units, the Minnesota Wild and the Los Angeles Kings take the ice at the Staples Center. This Western Conference matchup will get started at 10:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, November 8 and it is being shown live on Fox Sports West.
Minnesota Wild vs. Los Angeles Kings Odds
Each side currently has an identical -110 money line in this one and the oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 6 goals (-120 for the over, +100 for the under).
Minnesota is 8-6 straight up (SU) and has earned 1.3 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 14 regular season matches, seven of its games have gone over the total, while six have gone under and just one has pushed. This 2018-19 Wild team is 3-4 SU on the road.
Minnesota has scored on 19.6 percent of its power play chances thus far. That mark hasn’t moved a lot from last year, when it was ranked 16th in the NHL by scoring on 20.6 percent of its extra-man advantages. Its penalty kill has gotten stronger year-over-year, as the team has gone from successfully defending 80.9 percent of opponents’ power plays (ranked 12th overall last year) to 85.2 percent this year.
For the team as a whole, Minnesota has been called for penalties 4.7 times per game this season, a number that’s regressed some from the 3.8 penalties per game given up last year. After serving an average of 8.6 penalty minutes per game a year ago, the team’s been forced to stave off opponent power plays for 10.1 minutes per outing this season.
Averaging 30.2 saves per game with a .930 save percentage, Devan Dubnyk (6-5-2) has been the primary option in goal for Minnesota this season. If Minnesota decides to rest him, however, head coach Bruce Boudreau might go with Alex Stalock (2-1), who has a .895 save percentage and 3.30 goals against average this year.
The visiting Wild have relied heavily on Mikael Granlund and Ryan Suter this season. Granlund (13 points) has tallied six goals and seven assists, and has recorded multiple points in three different games. Suter has three goals and 10 assists to his nameand has registered a point in seven games.
On the other side of the rink, Los Angeles is 5-9 straight up (SU) and has lost 6.2 units for moneyline bettors thus far. Through 14 regular season matches, seven of its games have gone under the total, while six have gone over and just one has pushed. So far this year, the team is 4-4 SU at home.
Los Angeles has converted on 16.7 percent of its power play opportunities this season, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked seventh overall, and it’s successfully killed off 82.9 percent of all penalties.
Los Angeles players have been whistled for penalties only 3.7 times per game this season, a number that’s pretty close to the 3.8 penalties per game given up last year. After serving an average of 8.8 penalty minutes per game a year ago, the team has had to stave off opponent power plays for 9.1 minutes per matchup this season.
Jack Campbell (24.5 saves per game) has been the primary netminder in goal for Los Angeles. Campbell has five wins and six losses and has maintained a 2.50 goals against average and a .918 save percentage this season.
Ilya Kovalchuk (five goals, nine assists) will pace the attack for the Kings.
Minnesota Wild vs. Los Angeles Kings Free Picks
Pick: SU Winner – Kings, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Notes
The total has gone over in four of Minnesota’s last five games.
The Kings are 2-6 when the team serves fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 2-7 in games where they’re in the penalty box for fewer than 10 total minutes.
After posting a 3-3 record in games decided by a shootout last year, Minnesota is off to a 0-1 start in shootouts this season. Los Angeles was 2-1 in shootouts last year and has yet to participate in one this time around.
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