The Staples Center plays host to an intriguing showdown as the Nashville Predators come into town to face the Los Angeles Kings. It’s the third and last time that the two clubs will go at it in the regular season. Fox Sports West will showcase this Western Conference matchup, which gets underway at 10:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 14.
Nashville Predators vs. Los Angeles Kings Odds
Nashville comes into the game as the obvious favorite with a moneyline of -200. The line for Los Angeles sits at +170, and the Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 6 goals (-135 money on the under, +115 on the over).
Nashville is 39-32 straight up (SU) and has lost 10.3 units for moneyline bettors thus far. 37 of its matches have gone under the total, while 31 have gone over and just three have pushed. The Preds are 17-18 SU as a road team in 2018-19.
Nashville has converted on just 13.6 percent of its power play opportunities this year, a figure that places them in the bottom- overall among NHL teams. Its penalty kill is ranked 15th in the league, and it has successfully killed off 80.5 percent of all penalties.
Nashville, as a collective unit, has been whistled for penalties 3.7 times per game overall during the 2018-19 season, 3.6 per game over its past five games total, and 3.4 per game over its last five on the road. The team’s been forced to kill penalties just 8.3 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Averaging 25.1 saves per game with a .912 save percentage, Pekka Rinne (25-23-4) has been the primary option in goal for Nashville this year. If head coach Peter Laviolette decides to rest him, however, the team may go with Juuse Saros (15-13-2), who has a .914 save percentage and 2.65 goals against average this year.
Ryan Johansen and Roman Josi will both look to continue their strong seasons for the visiting Predators. Johansen (56 points) has tallied 11 goals and 45 assists, and has recorded multiple points 15 times. Josi has 15 goals and 40 assists to his credit, and has registered at least one point in 39 games.
On the other bench, Los Angeles is 25-44 straight up (SU) and has lost 17.9 units for moneyline bettors this year. 34 of its games have gone under the total, while 33 have gone over and just two have pushed. This season, the team’s 13-20 SU as the home team.
Los Angeles has converted on just 15.1 percent of its power play chances this season, a figure that’s ranked 28th in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 30th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 75.2 percent of all penalties.
Los Angeles players have been penalized only 3.3 times per game this season, 3.0 per game over their past five outings total, and 3.0 per game over their last five home outings. The team has been forced to kill penalties just 6.0 minutes per game over their last five outings.
Jonathan Quick (26.0 saves per game) has been the top option in the crease for Los Angeles. Quick has 13 wins, 25 losses, and six OT losses and has recorded a mediocre 3.28 goals against average and a subpar .891 save percentage this season.
Anze Kopitar (19 goals, 29 assists) will lead the offensive counter for the Kings.
Nashville Predators at Los Angeles Kings Betting Predictions
NHL Tip: SU Winner – Kings, O/U – Under
Betting Trends
- The over has hit in three of Nashville’s last five outings.
- Penalties and power plays may play a critical role tonight. The Predators are 15-12 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 28-21 in games where they’re in the penalty box for fewer than 10 total minutes. The Kings are 9-16 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 19-32 in games where their penalty minutes are in the single digits.
- Three of Nashville’s past 10 outings have ended in a shootout. The team’s 3-0 in those games and 4-1 overall in shootouts this season.
- Los Angeles has created 5.0 takeaways per game over its last five home games, right in line with its season average of 5.1 takeaways per game (ranked 31st in the NHL).
- Nashville is ranked 13th overall with 7.8 takeaways per game. That figure has trended down lately, however, as the team has created 7.0 takeaways over its last 10 games and 5.6 takeaways over its last five.
