The Carolina Hurricanes (4-0-0) will head into Crypto.com Arena on Saturday night to face the Los Angeles Kings (1-3-1). These are two teams heading in opposite directions going into this game. Carolina remains the NHL’s only unbeaten team, while Los Angeles is struggling to find consistency early in the season. Before the puck drops from Los Angeles, continue reading to get my Hurricanes vs Kings prediction for tonight.
Our Hurricanes vs Kings Pick
- Pick: LA Kings Moneyline
- Confidence: ★★★★☆
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Carolina Hurricanes vs Los Angeles Kings
- Date & Time: Saturday, October 18, 2025, 9:00 p.m. ET
- Venue: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
- Recent Form: Carolina enters this game with a perfect 4-0-0 record. They are leading the NHL in both goals per game (4.75) and goal differential (+11). Los Angeles has lost three consecutive games and is struggling defensively. The Kings are allowing an average of 3.80 goals per game and need to tighten things up to end their losing streak here.
- Goaltending: Frederik Andersen has been stellar for Carolina. He has a 3-0-0 record with a 2.27 GAA and .899 save percentage. Los Angeles is dealing with an injury to starting netminder Darcy Kuemper. Los Angeles has relied on Anton Forsberg in his place. Forsberg has a 3.89 GAA and .867 save percentage this season.
- Key Skaters: Carolina’s Seth Jarvis is off to a hot start, leading the team with five goals in four games. Sebastian Aho and Shayne Gostisbehere have also been significant contributors to the Hurricanes’ attack. Adrian Kempe leads the Kings with five points. But the absence of captain Anze Kopitar due to injury has been a huge setback.
Best Player Props
| Player | Prop |
|---|---|
| Seth Jarvis | Anytime Goal Scorer |
| Sebastian Aho | Over 0.5 Assists |
| Adrian Kempe | Over 0.5 Points |
Betting Trends & H2H
- Puckline Trends: Carolina is 3-1 on the puckline to start their season. The Kings are 2-3 on the puckline going into Saturday night.
- Over/Under Trends: The Hurricanes are 2-2 on over/unders for the season. The Kings are 2-3 on their totals entering this matchup.
- Head-to-Head: Carolina has won three of the last five matchups between these teams.
Hurricanes vs Kings Model Projection
- Score Projection: Carolina 3 – Los Angeles 4
- Win Probability: Carolina 50%, Los Angeles 50%
Final Thoughts
If you just look at the records of these teams, you would assume that the Hurricanes are going to roll in this contest. But the Kings are a much better team than they have appeared through their first five games of the season. I think that LA will step up in this contest and give Carolina a run for its money. I’ll take the Kings as a home underdog to hand the Canes their first loss of the season.
