NHL Odds, Preview, Prediction: Kings vs Bruins (Saturday, February 17)
Harry How/Getty Images. Pictured: Pierre-Luc Dubois
Kings vs. Bruins Odds
| Kings Odds | +125 |
| Bruins Odds | -150 |
| Over / Under | 5.5 -118 / -104 |
Here's everything you need to know about the Los Angeles Kings vs. Boston Bruins on Saturday, February 17 – our expert NHL prediction and pick.
Boston has been one of the best under bets in the league recently, with five or fewer total goals scored in each of its past five games and in eight of its past nine. Will this trend continue on Saturday?
Let's dig into the NHL odds and make a Kings vs. Bruins prediction.
The under has also been a good bet for Los Angeles, going 6-4-1 over the past 11 games. This trend exists for a few reasons, starting with goaltending.
David Rittich is slated to guard the cage for the Kings on Saturday, and he has been tremendous this season. Through 14 appearances in the crease, Rittich is 7-2-3 with a .923 SV% and 2.12 GAA.
This success is likely to continue against Boston, a team that he boasts a .919 SV% against through three career starts. Now, making his job easier is the fact that he plays behind one of the best two-way teams in the league.
Entering this matchup, the Kings rank in the top five of the league in goals allowed per game, shots on goal allowed per game and penalty kill percentage. Their underlying metrics are also incredibly strong, ranking ninth in expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60) at 5-on-5.
On the other hand, this group hovers around the league average in goals scored per game, power play percentage and shooting percentage.
I mentioned in the introduction that the under has been an incredibly hot bet for the Bruins, which is the case for multiple reasons. First, the offense has gone cold, averaging just 2.5 goals scored over their past nine games.
Second, goaltending has been tremendous whether it has been Jeremy Swayman or Linus Ullmark between the pipes. Ullmark is slated to get the nod on Saturday, and the reigning Vezina Trophy winner has not missed a beat.
Through 26 appearances in the crease, Ullmark is 16-6-3 with a .915 SV% and 2.64 GAA. He's now allowed two or fewer goals in three straight starts, going 2-0-1 with a remarkable .949 SV% and 1.30 GAA over that stretch.
This strong stretch of goaltending is likely to continue against Los Angeles, a team that Ullmark is 4-0-2 against in his career with a .923 SV% and 1.94 GAA. There have been five or fewer total goals scored in four of those six outings.
With such great goaltending between Ullmark and Swayman, it is not shocking that Boston ranks fourth in goals allowed per game.
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Kings vs. Bruins
Betting Pick & Prediction
Like Rittich, Ullmark plays behind a defensively efficient lineup. At 5-on-5, the Bruins rank 13th in xGA/60.
Both teams rank in the top half of the league in xGA/60 at 5-on-5, while both teams also rank in the top five in goals allowed per game. These are both strong two-way teams that are backed by tremendous goaltenders, which is why the under has been profitable for both groups.
Both offenses are obviously strong as well, but each team ranks higher in goals allowed per game than it does in goals scored per game. Considering the form of each goaltender and their track records against Saturday's opponent, I think goals will be more difficult to come by.
Pick: Under 5.5 (-104 at FanDuel | Play to -110)
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