NHL Odds, Prediction, Preview: Kings vs Predators (Wednesday, January 31)
(Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images). Pictured: Juuse Saros.
Kings vs. Predators Odds
| Kings Odds | -113 |
| Predators Odds | -106 |
| Over / Under | 6.5 +104o / -128u |
Here's everything you need to know about the Los Angeles Kings vs. Nashville Predators on Wednesday, Jan. 31 — our expert NHL prediction and preview.
Nashville has dominated this matchup over the past couple of seasons, winning each of the past three and six of the past eight meetings. Will the Predators take care of business once again Wednesday?
Let's dig into the NHL odds and make a Kings vs. Predators prediction and pick.
It has been a brutal couple of weeks for Los Angeles, losing each of its past four games and 14 of its past 16. This team is in free fall, and I expect the woes to continue in this matchup against Nashville.
First, the offense has struggled mightily. Over that 16-game stretch, the Kings are averaging just 2.25 goals per game.
On the season, they now rank in the bottom half of the league in goals scored per game, power-play percentage and shooting percentage. While the blue line has been better than the offense, this team is still surrendering 3.5 goals per game over that aforementioned 16-game stretch.
Backing up this struggling lineup is goaltender David Rittich, who is slated to guard the cage Wednesday evening. Rittich has performed well this season, but he simply not as good of a goaltender as his .920 SV% and 2.10 GAA suggests. He is a prime regression candidate, something that has started to already kick in recently. Rittich possesses a .885 SV% and 3.27 GAA over his past three appearances in the crease, with Los Angeles losing all three games.
This regression is likely to continue against his former team, a club that he possesses a .899 SV% and 3.46 GAA through four career starts against.
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Goaltender Juuse Saros is slated to start across the ice, and he is on the opposite end of the spectrum than Rittich. Saros is a much better goaltender than his .903 SV% and 2.94 GAA suggests, and positive regression is likely. We have seen this positive regression start to set in recently, as Saros has posted a .922 SV% and 2.31 GAA over his past seven starts.
This stretch is likely to continue against Los Angeles, a team that Saros has dominated throughout his career with a 5-1-1 record, .925 SV% and 2.66 GAA. It also helps Saros' cause that the defense in front of him has been playing a stronger brand of hockey over the past nine games.
Nashville is allowing just 2.88 goals per game over that stretch, with most of those games coming on the road. Now, the Predators return home against a team that has struggled to score amid its terrible stretch.
The Predators' defensive underlying metrics are also strong, ranking 12th in expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60) at 5-on-5.
Kings vs. Predators Prediction
Betting Pick & Prediction
The wheels are almost completely off the tracks for Los Angeles. I do think this team is still solid and will return to form eventually, but the Kings have lost 14 of their past 16 games and cannot be trusted until they start to string together some quality performances.
Nashville has been playing better recently, albeit not by much. With that said, it is still returning home after a road trip and I trust Saros and his track record against Los Angeles far more than I trust Rittich, despite the latter's success in a limited sample size this season.
I would take this line up to -105.
Pick: Predators Moneyline (+100 at Caesars | Play to -105)
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