Two teams that split their head-to-head series 2-2 a year ago, the Arizona Coyotes and the Los Angeles Kings meet at the Staples Center. Fox Arizona Plus will showcase this divisional matchup, which gets underway at 10:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, December 4.
Arizona Coyotes at Los Angeles Kings Odds
Los Angeles (-120) is currently the favorite over Arizona (+100), and the oddsmakers have put the Over/Under (O/U) at 6 goals. The line for betting that total stands at -120 under, +100 over.
Arizona is 12-13 straight up (SU) and has earned moneyline bettors 1.9 units this year. Through 25 regular season contests, 13 of its games have gone under the total, while 11 have gone over and just one has pushed. This 2018-19 Coyotes team is 6-6 SU on the road.
Arizona has converted on just 15.3 percent of its power play chances this season, a mark that places them in the bottom- overall among NHL teams. Having said that, its penalty kill is ranked first overall, and it’s successfully killed off a whopping 89.7 percent of its penalties.
For the team as a whole, Arizona has been sent to the penalty box 4.0 times per game in the 2018-19 season, and 3.4 per game over its last five on the road. The team has been forced to kill penalties just 8.4 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Sporting a .906 save percentage and 26.5 saves per game, Antti Raanta (6-6) has been the primary option in goal for Arizona this season. If Arizona decides to rest him, however, the team could turn to Darcy Kuemper (4-7-2), who has a .914 save percentage and 2.71 goals against average this year.
Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz will both be offensive focal points for the visiting Coyotes. Keller has 18 points on eight goals and 10 assists, and has recorded multiple points two times. Schmaltz has three goals and 12 assists to his name (and has notched a point in 10 games).
On the other side of the ice, Los Angeles is 10-17 straight up (SU) and has lost 9.6 units for moneyline bettors thus far. Through 27 regular season contests, 15 of its games have gone under the total, while 11 have gone over and just one has pushed. The team is 6-9 SU at home this year.
Los Angeles has converted on just 14.5 percent of its power play chances this year, a mark that’s ranked 31st in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 28th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 73.8 percent of all opponent power plays.
The Kings have been penalized only 3.4 times per game this season, and 2.6 per game over their past five match ups. The team has had to defend opponent power plays just 6.2 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Jack Campbell (25.0 saves per game) has been the primary choice in goal for Los Angeles. Campbell has five wins and eight losses to his name and has maintained a 2.33 goals against average and a .923 save percentage this year.
The Kings will be led on offense by Anze Kopitar (seven goals, 10 assists).
Arizona Coyotes vs. Los Angeles Kings Free Picks
Free Pick: SU Winner \u2013 Coyotes, O/U \u2013 Over
Betting Notes
- The under has hit in four of Los Angeles’ last five outings.
- Arizona has managed 25.0 shot attempts per game over its last five road games while Los Angeles is averaging 29.6 shots per game over its last five home outings.
- Power plays and penalty kills may be key in tonight’s matchup. The Coyotes are 3-7 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 4-9 in games where they’re in the penalty box for fewer than 10 total minutes. The Kings are 5-8 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 7-12 in games where they’re in the box for less than 10 minutes.
- Los Angeles is ranked 32nd in the NHL this season with 4.4 takeaways per game. That figure has trended higher recently, as the team has created 5.7 takeaways over its last 10 games and 6.2 takeaways over its last five.
- Arizona has averaged 2.6 goals per game overall this year, but is scoring 4.3 per contest over the team’s three-game winning streak.
- Arizona is ranked 27th this season with 5.9 takeaways per game. That figure has trended down, however, as it has forced 5.2 takeaways over its last 10 games and 4.2 takeaways over its last five.
