NHL Odds, Preview, Prediction: Kings vs Blues (Wednesday, March 13)
(Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images) Pictured: Jordan Binnington
Kings vs. Blues Odds
| Kings Odds | -160 |
| Blues Odds | +135 |
| Over / Under | 5.5 -120o/ +100u |
Here's everything you need to know about the Los Angeles Kings vs. St. Louis Blues on Wednesday, March 13 – our expert NHL prediction and pick.
Following a five-game road trip, the Blues are back at the Enterprise Center for their next four games and will host the Kings, who are coming off a successful 3-1-1 homestand.
Los Angeles has also picked up three of a possible four points against the Blues this season, thanks to a home win in November and an overtime loss in late January.
The Kings' success has been built off solid defense and good goaltending as they prepare for the playoffs. The Blues have also been strong in the crease, which sets us up for a low-scoring affair on Wednesday. So, let's get to my Kings vs. Blues pick.
The Kings are hitting the road on a high note after ending the New York Islanders' six-game winning streak with a shutout win on Monday. In his first start in seven games, David Rittich made 26 saves for his second clean sheet of the year, and is now up to 12.3 goals saved above expected.
But with L.A.'s compressed schedule for the rest of the week, expect to see the Kings turn back to Cam Talbot on Wednesday. Talbot is at 7.9 goals saved above expected and has been steady, with 13 goals allowed in his past six games and a save percentage that has rebounded to .916.
After their swoon in January, the Kings are back on track under interim head coach Jim Hiller. The Kings are 10-5-1 since he took over and are controlling 51.83% of expected goals at 5-on-5.
Of course, a little more scoring would be nice. Kevin Fiala is leading the way with eight goals, five of which came on the power play, since Hiller took over. There have also been some key injuries up front. Adrian Kempe is back after missing five games with an upper-body injury, but Viktor Arvidsson and Carl Grundstrom remain sidelined.
The Blues made their coaching change back in mid-December and handed the reins to interim boss Drew Bannister. Under his watch, the team has gone 20-15-2, but remains maddeningly inconsistent.
Jordan Binnington should be back between the pipes on Wednesday. He's having a good year with 13.7 goals saved above expected. Since Bannister's arrival, Binnington is 14-9-2 with a .915 save percentage.
Like Los Angeles, St. Louis could also stand to be scoring more. The Blues are averaging 2.76 goals per game in the Bannister era and while Robert Thomas and Jake Neighbours have been regular contributors on the power play, Jordan Kyrou and Pavel Buchnevich have been carrying a good deal of the load at even strength.
The Blues are regularly being outplayed at 5-on-5. In the Bannister era, they've generated the fewest expected goals while giving up the most, leading to a league-low 40.84% expected goals share. The goalies have been doing their bit with a 92.65% team save percentage at 5-on-5, but they haven't been getting much help.
Kings vs. Blues
Betting Pick & Prediction
Even when they were at their worst in January, the Kings were able to push the Blues to overtime and pick up a point. This is a matchup that favors the visitors and the moneyline reflects that as the Kings opened at -132 and quickly moved all the way to -150 at some shops.
So, for value, look to the total. These teams both regularly score less than three goals per game and are getting good goaltending. It's easy to imagine this contest being close and low-scoring.
Under 6 looks like the sweet spot here.
Pick: Under 6 (-114 at BetRivers) | Play to -125
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