Ryan O’Reilly, David Perron, and the St. Louis Blues will do battle against Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty, and the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center for a Western Conference showdown. The opening face-off takes place at 10 p.m. ET on Monday, December 23, and you are able to catch the game live on Fox Sports Midwest.
St. Louis Blues at Los Angeles Kings Odds
St. Louis is 23-14 straight up (SU) and has netted 5.7 units for moneyline bettors this season. Through 37 regular season contests, 19 of its games have gone under the total, while 18 have gone over and none have pushed. As the road team this season, the Blue Notes are 11-7 SU.
St. Louis has converted on 22.5 percent of its power play opportunities this year, a figure that places them in the top-10 among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked third overall, and it has successfully killed off 85.0 percent of its penalties..
Averaging 27.3 saves per game with a .920 save percentage, Jordan Binnington (16-10-4) has been the top option in goal for St. Louis this year. If it decides to give him a rest, however, St. Louis could turn to Jake Allen (7-5-2), who has a .931 save percentage and 2.19 goals against average this year.
On the other side of the ice, Los Angeles is 15-23 straight up (SU) and has lost 4.2 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 38 regular season outings, 20 of its games have gone under the total, while 16 have gone over and just two have pushed. The team’s 10-7 SU at home this season.
The Kings have converted on just 12.7 percent of their power play chances this year, a figure that places them in the bottom overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 28th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 74.6 percent of all opponent power plays.
Jonathan Quick has denied 25.5 shots per game as the top netminder in the crease for the Kings. Quick has 10 wins, 15 losses, and two OT losses and has registered a fairly-weak .895 save percentage and 3.01 goals against average this season.
St. Louis Blues vs. Los Angeles Kings Betting Predictions
Pick: SU Winner – Kings, O/U – Over
Betting Trends
- Over St. Louis’ last ten games, eight of them have been decided by two or more goals (the team is 5-3 in those games).
- The Blues are 12-3 in games where they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 19-9 when they’re in the penalty box for fewer than 10 total minutes.
- St. Louis could hold the upper hand if this one comes down to the wire. The team’s 11-6 in one-goal games, while Los Angeles is 8-10 in such games.
- One of the best at possession and valuing the puck, St. Louis is ranked fifth this season with just 8.4 giveaways per game. That figure has trended down lately, however, as the team’s averaged 6.3 giveaways over its last 10 games and 6.4 giveaways over its last five.
- Los Angeles is ranked 19th this season with 10.7 giveaways per game. That figure has improved lately, however, as the team’s averaged 9.2 giveaways over its last 10 games and 5.6 giveaways over its last five.
