In a game that features two squads on winning streaks, the Arizona Coyotes and the Los Angeles Kings meet at the Staples Center. The game will get underway at 10:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 27, and fans at home will be able to watch this divisional matchup live on Fox Sports Arizona.
Arizona Coyotes vs. Los Angeles Kings Odds
Los Angeles enters the game as the heavy favorite with a moneyline of -140. The line for Arizona is standing at +120. If you want to put some action on the matchup’s Over/Under (O/U) total, you’ll be looking at -105 for over 6 goals and +-115 for under under..
Arizona is 16-20 straight up (SU) and has lost 0.6 units for moneyline bettors thus far. Through 36 regular season matches, 18 of its games have gone under the total, while 17 have gone over and just one has pushed. This 2018-19 Coyotes team is 9-9 SU on the road.
Arizona has converted on 16.4 percent of its power play chances this season, a mark that’s right around league average. Having said that, it has the second-strongest penalty kill in the league, and it has successfully killed off a whopping 87.5 percent of all penalties.
For the team as a whole, Arizona has been penalized 3.9 times per game during the 2018-19 season, and 4.8 per game over its last five on the road. The team has had to stave off opponent power plays 8.8 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
With a .911 save percentage and 28.2 saves per game, Darcy Kuemper (5-11-2) has been the best option in goal for Arizona this year. If it decides to give him a rest, however, the team might go with Antti Raanta (6-6 record, .906 save percentage, 2.88 goals against average).
The visiting Coyotes will be led by Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz. Keller (26 points) is up to eight goals and 18 assists, and has recorded two or more points in four different games. Schmaltz has six goals and 17 assists to his credit (and has notched a point in 17 games).
Los Angeles is 14-23 straight up (SU) and has lost 9.3 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 37 regular season contests, 20 of its games have gone under the total, while 16 have gone over and just one has pushed. It’s 8-11 SU at home this season.
Los Angeles has converted on just 15.4 percent of its power play opportunities this year, a figure that places it in the bottom 10 overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 30th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 74.3 percent of all penalties.
Los Angeles players have been called for penalties only 3.3 times per game this season, and 2.2 per game over their last five match ups. The team has had to kill penalties just 6.7 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Jonathan Quick has stopped 26.9 shots per game as the primary option in goal for Los Angeles. Quick has four wins, 10 losses, and two OT losses to his credit and has maintained a subpar .900 save percentage and 3.06 goals against average this season.
Anze Kopitar (eight goals, 15 assists) will lead the offensive attack for LA.
Arizona Coyotes at Los Angeles Kings Betting Picks
Free Prediction: SU Winner – Coyotes, O/U – Over
Betting Trends
- For both of these clubs, the under has hit in three of their last five outings.
- Power plays and penalty kills could have a critical role tonight. The Coyotes are 4-11 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 5-15 in games where they’re in the box for fewer than 10 penalty minutes, total. The Kings are 6-8 when the team serves fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 11-17 in games where they’re in the box for less than 10 minutes.
- Los Angeles has created 3.8 takeaways per game over its last five home games, a slight drop from its season average of 4.4 takeaways per game (ranked 31st overall).
- Arizona is ranked 24th with 6.6 takeaways per game. That figure has trended upward recently, as the team has averaged 8.7 takeaways over its last 10 games and 10.4 takeaways over its last five.
