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The Pittsburgh Penguins (5-9-2) and Los Angeles Kings (5-7-2) will meet in the NHL tonight. Puck drop is set for 9:00 p.m. EST at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
The Kings are favored at -120 on the moneyline, with the Penguins at +100 to pull off the upset. The over/under is set at 6.5 (-104o / -118u).
Let's get into our Penguins vs. Kings predictions and NHL picks.
Penguins vs. Kings Prediction
- Pick: Kings ML
Our Pittsburgh vs. Los Angeles best bet is on the Kings to win outright, with the best odds currently available at FanDuel. For all of your NHL bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NHL odds page.
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Penguins vs Kings Odds
| Penguins Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -245 | 6.5 -104o / -118u | +100 |
| Kings Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +194 | 6.5 -104o / -118u | -120 |
- Penguins vs. Kings puck line: Penguins +1.5 (-245), Kings -1.5 (+194)
- Penguins vs. Kings over/under: 6.5 (-104o / -118u)
- Penguins vs. Kings moneyline: Penguins +100, Kings -120
- Penguins vs. Kings best bet: Kings ML
Penguins vs. Kings Pick
We're 16 games into the season, and this has already been a rough go for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are currently tied for last in the Eastern Conference.
They've been through a stretch where injuries have decimated their roster, and while they've gotten a little healthier, they're still missing a pair of defensemen, as well as Bryan Rust, who's still out for a few more weeks.
On the other side, the Los Angeles Kings understand the struggles that Pittsburgh is going through. However, they've been running into good fortune as of late. After starting the season 0-4-2, the Kings have gone 5-3 to even out the playing field, most recently dominating the Sharks 7-2.
Kings star Artemi Panarin is still so incredibly good, and Adrian Kempe is fresh off a hat trick after dealing with a dry spell.
Current season-wide rankings suggest that the Kings are pretty anemic on the offensive end, but I don't think that tells the whole story. Since that brutal start to the season, Los Angeles is actually averaging 3.88 goals per game, and while its expected goals share could be a little bit better, its defense has held down the fort.
Now, goaltending is an issue. Darcy Kuemper is not the goaltender he once was, and it's shown in his .885 SV% and -3.1 GSAx. Because of his age, I'm going to give Kuemper some grace. He's been the winning goalie in five straight games, and it seems like he's getting into a groove, along with the team in front of him.
I'm going to ride with the hot hand here and take the Kings to win outright. I'm pretty bearish on the Penguins currently, and they've been horrible on the road. Their only road win came on Opening Night. Since then, they've lost every road game.
Pick: Kings ML
