Jonathan Drouin, Max Domi, and the Montreal Canadiens are set to face off against Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, and the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center for a cross-continent showdown. The action gets started at 10:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 5, and you will be able to catch it live on Fox Sports West.
Montreal Canadiens vs. Los Angeles Kings Odds
The Canadiens (-130) are tabbed as the favorites over the Kings (+110) and the Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 6 goals (-110 over, -110 under).
Montreal is 35-31 straight up (SU) and has earned 5.3 units for moneyline bettors this season. Through 66 regular season contests, 34 of its games have gone under the total, while 28 have gone over and just four have pushed. As a road team this season, the Habs are 16-16 SU.
Montreal has converted on just 12.4 percent of its power play chances this season, a figure that’s ranked 32nd in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 18th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 80.1 percent of its penalties..
Averaging 27.2 saves per game with a .916 save percentage, Carey Price (27-25-5) has been the primary option in goal for Montreal this year. If head coach Claude Julien chooses to rest him, however, the team may turn to Antti Niemi (8-8-2 record, .889 save percentage, 3.75 goals against average).
Los Angeles is 24-41 straight up (SU) and has lost 16.6 units for moneyline bettors thus far. Through 65 regular season matches, 32 of its games have gone over the total, while another 32 have gone under and just one has pushed. It’s 13-18 SU at home this year.
The Kings have converted on just 15.7 percent of their power play opportunities this year, a figure that’s ranked 26th in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 30th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 74.6 percent of all penalties.
Jonathan Quick has denied 26.3 shots per game as the top choice in the crease for the Kings. Quick has 12 wins, 23 losses, and six overtime losses to his credit and has maintained a fairly-weak .892 save percentage and 3.30 goals against average this season.
Montreal Canadiens vs. Los Angeles Kings Free Picks
Free NHL Tip: SU Winner – Kings, O/U – Under
Betting Trends
- Two of the Kings’ last ten games have ended in a shootout. The team is 0-2 in those games and 2-3 overall in shootouts this season.
- For both of these teams, the total has gone over in each of their last five outings.
- The Canadiens have averaged the league’s fourth-most shots on goal (33.4) while Los Angeles’s attempted the 30th-most (just 28.5).
- Over Montreal’s last ten games, eight of them have been decided by two or more goals (the team is 3-5 in those games).
- Montreal skaters have accounted for the fourth-most hits in the league (26.8 per game), but that number’s down to just 23.8 hits over their last five away games.
