The Los Angeles Kings look to tie the series up at T-Mobile Arena in Game 2 of the NHL postseason’s opening round. The match gets started at 10 p.m. ET on Friday, April 13, and fans at home can see it live on NBC Sports Network.
Los Angeles Kings at Vegas Golden Knights Odds
Vegas comes into the matchup as the heavy favorite with a moneyline of -155. The line for Los Angeles sits at +135. The Over/Under (O/U), set at 5 goals, initially opened at -120 for the over and +100 for the under. That line has since shifted however, and it now sits at -115 for the over, -105 for the under.
The Golden Knights are 52-31 straight up (SU) and have earned moneyline bettors 16.5 units this season. Through 83 regular season outings, 42 of the team’s games have gone over the total, while 39 have gone under and just two have pushed. This year, the team’s 30-12 SU at home.
Vegas has converted on 21.4 percent of its power play opportunities this season, a mark that’s good enough for 10th-best in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked seventh overall, and it’s successfully killed off 82.1 percent of all penalties.
As a collective unit, Vegas has been penalized just 3.2 times per game overall this season, and 2.6 per game over its last five home outings. The team’s had to defend opposition power plays for just 6.6 minutes per game over its last 10 outings, overall.
Sporting a .929 save percentage and 27.8 saves per game, Marc-Andre Fleury (30-17-4) has been the primary option in goal for the Golden Knights this season. If head coach Gerard Gallant chooses to give him a breather, however, the Knights may roll with Malcolm Subban (15-7-7 record, .910 save percentage, 2.68 goals against average).
The Knights will continue to lean on the offensive production from William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault. Karlsson (78 points) is up to 43 goals and 35 assists and has recorded two or more points 19 times this year. Marchessault has 27 goals and 48 assists to his name and has notched at least one point in 46 games.
Los Angeles is 45-38 straight up (SU) and has earned 1.0 unit for moneyline bettors this season. A total of 43 of its matches have gone under the total, while 37 have gone over and just three have pushed. Los Angeles’ 22-20 SU as the visiting team this season.
Los Angeles has converted on 20.2 percent of its power play chances this year, a mark that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked first overall and it’s successfully killed off 85.2 percent of all penalties.
Los Angeles’ players have been penalized 3.8 times per game this season, and 2.6 per game over their last five road outings. The team’s been forced to defend opponent power plays just 5.9 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Jonathan Quick (.922 save percentage and 2.38 goals against average) has been the primary option in goal for Los Angeles. Quick is averaging 26.9 saves per game and has 33 wins, 32 losses, and three overtime losses to his credit.
For the visiting Kings, the offense will be coordinated by Anze Kopitar, who has 57 assists and 35 goals this season.
Los Angeles Kings vs. Vegas Golden Knights Free Picks
Free Pick: SU Winner – Golden Knights, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes
The total has gone over in three of Vegas’ last five outings.
Los Angeles has attempted 31.0 shots per contest overall this season (ranked 23rd in the NHL), and 29.3 in its last 10 games.
Penalties and power plays could be key in tonight’s game. The Kings are 18-12 in games where they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 31-22 when they serve fewer than 10 penalty minutes, in total. The Golden Knights are 20-12 when the team serves fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 41-20 in games where they’re in the box for less than 10 minutes.
Vegas has created 11.2 takeaways per game over its last five home games, an improvement over its season average of 10.4 takeaways per game (ranked 2nd).
Los Angeles skaters have averaged 6.2 takeaways per game over its last five road games, an improvement over its season average of 4.8 takeaways per game (ranked 31st in the league).
Vegas could hold an advantage if this one comes down to the wire. The team’s 23-16 in games decided by one goal, while Los Angeles is 14-20 in such games.
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