Kyle Palmieri, Nikita Gusev, and the New Jersey Devils will face off against Alex Iafallo, Anze Kopitar, and the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center in an East-West tilt. Fox Sports West will showcase the action, which gets going at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 29.
New Jersey Devils vs. Los Angeles Kings Odds
Oddsmakers have not yet posted moneyline or Over/Under odds for this matchup.
New Jersey is 25-38 straight up (SU) and has lost 6.3 units for moneyline bettors thus far. Through 63 regular season outings, 32 of its games have gone over the total, while 29 have gone under and just one has pushed. As an away team this season, the Devils are 13-18 SU.
New Jersey has converted on just 17.6 percent of its power play chances this season, a figure that places them in the bottom-10 overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 11th overall, and it has successfully killed off 81.7 percent of its penalties..
Averaging 28.0 saves per game with a .916 save percentage, MacKenzie Blackwood (21-22-7) has been the top option in goal for New Jersey this season. If head coach Alain Nasreddine decides to rest him, however, New Jersey may turn to Louis Domingue (3-13-2), who has a .882 save percentage and 3.79 goals against average this year.
On the other side of the rink, Los Angeles is 23-41 straight up (SU) and has lost 10.1 units for moneyline bettors this year. 34 of its outings have gone under the total, while 25 have gone over and just five have pushed. It’s 14-15 SU at home this year.
The Kings have converted on just 16.9 percent of their power play chances this year, a mark that places them in the bottom 10 overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 28th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 76.1 percent of all penalties.
Jonathan Quick (26.1 saves per game) has been the primary option in the crease for the Kings. Quick has 13 wins, 26 losses, and four OT losses to his name and has registered a poor .898 save percentage and 2.96 goals against average this year.
New Jersey Devils at Los Angeles Kings Free Picks
NHL Prediction: SU Winner – Kings, O/U – Over
Betting Notes
- Over Los Angeles’ last ten outings, seven of them have been decided by two or more goals (the team is 2-5 in those games).
- Penalties and power plays could prove to be critical in this game. The Devils are 11-17 in games where they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 14-22 when they serve fewer than 10 total penalty minutes. The Kings are 8-16 when the team serves fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 17-33 in games where total penalty minutes are in the single digits.
- Los Angeles is 0-3 in games decided by a shootout this season while New Jersey is 4-6 in shootouts.
- New Jersey has averaged 8.2 giveaways over its last five home games, an improvement from its season average of 9.3 giveaways per game (ranked 14th in the league).
- Los Angeles skaters have averaged 12.4 giveaways over its last five home games, a rise over its season average of 10.2 giveaways per game (ranked 17th overall).
