Kraken vs Kings Preview: NHL Odds, Prediction (Wednesday, December 20)
Steph Chambers/Getty Images. Pictured: Joey Daccord #35 of the Seattle Kraken pokes the puck away from Kevin Fiala #22 of the Los Angeles Kings.
Kraken vs. Kings Odds
| Kraken Odds | +146 |
| Kings Odds | -176 |
| Over / Under | 5.5 -140 / +114 |
The Seattle Kraken head to Southern California to take on the Los Angeles Kings. Seattle has not had a good season at all, after surprising many last year. The Kraken have gone 2-4-4 in their last 10 games, including a loss at home to the aforementioned Kings on Saturday.
L.A. is back home after a 2-0 road trip including a win last night in San Jose. Many hold the Kings in high regard, and are a dark horse candidate to contend for the Stanley Cup. They’ve gone 6-3-1 in their last 10 games and remain near the top of a competitive Pacific Division.
Here’s a look at the odds, as well as my Kraken vs. Kings preview.
Seattle has had such a weird year. Last year’s Calder Trophy winner Matty Beniers is having quite the down year after becoming an impact player with only 15 points and a -17 rating. Jared McCann has kept up his scoring, but is also a drastic net negative. Oliver Bjorkstrand and Vince Dunn have been the true stars of this team with solid production and positioning.
The injuries have mounted up, though. Jaden Schwartz has been on the shelf for the past month, and Andre Burakovsky has struggled to stay on the ice.
The Kraken’s 5-on-5 play hasn’t been the problem at all. As usual for this team, it’s poor goaltending and special teams. Seattle ranks 11th in expected goals with a 51.65 xGF% and fourth with a 2.34 xGA/60.
While the Kraken's special teams aren’t terrible, it certainly can be better. The power play scores at a solid 20% rate, the penalty kill is at 78%.
We’ll see who coach Dave Hakstol rolls out tonight. With Philipp Grubauer on IR, it’s up to either Chris Driedger or Joey Daccord. Driedger hasn’t seen the ice since returning from a season ending injury last year, and Daccord has seen plenty of pucks this year. He’s played to a .905 SV% and a -4.9 goal saved above expected (GSAx).
The Kings are a true juggernaut. The Kings have two players averaging at least a point per game in Anze Kopitar and Kevin Fiala. While Adrian Kempe, Trevor Moore and Quinton Byfield are not too far behind as the points continue to pile up. L.A. has an incredibly deep team from top to bottom, and has one of the best defensive cores in the NHL.
I mentioned the defense because it’s very real. The Kings have the league’s best 5-on-5 defense with a 2.23 xGA/60. The offense also clicks on all cylinders ranking first with a 57.56 xGF%.
Special teams is also a big strength for the Kings. They score on the power play at a solid 21% clip, while the penalty kill is third best, succeeding 86% of the time.
Since Cam Talbot sat last night, expect to see him in net tonight. The 12 year veteran is having the best season of his career, and can potentially set new career highs. He’s playing to an astounding .926 SV% and a 10.9 GSAx.
Kraken vs. Kings
Betting Pick & Prediction
Seattle will be looking for some revenge after the Kings stole a win on its home ice in a shootout. However, I think it’ll be really hard given how hot the Kings have been. For L.A., it seemed like last night’s game against the Sharks was a walk in the park. Despite having to travel back home, I don’t see tonight being much of an issue either.
The Kings will also have Cam Talbot back in net, but as shown before, it doesn’t matter who starts. The team in front of the goalies is so elite that you can put an emergency backup in, and they may still win.
While Seattle does most things well, goaltending will always be a concern. Once it figures that part out, then I can see bigger things in its future. This should be an even matchup, but it won’t be. L.A. has too much firepower, and that limited Seattle goaltending room will be overwhelmed tonight. I’m picking the Kings puckline here.
Pick: Kings -1.5 (+136)
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