The Los Angeles Kings face off against the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday night to close down a two-game series at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri, so here’s the best betting pick for their West Division showdown.
The Kings stunned the Blues two days ago, blanking them 3-0 as +165 road underdogs and taking a 2-1 lead in their eight-game regular-season series. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Los Angeles is a +142 dog for Wednesday’s clash, while the Blues are listed at -157 odds to win straight up.
The visitors are coming without wingers Martin Frk and Jaret Anderson-Dolan. The hosts, on the other side, miss five players including defenseman Carl Gunnarsson and center Ivan Barbashev, while defenseman Colton Parayko and winger Jaden Schwartz are both listed as questionable.
The Kings aim for their sixth consecutive win
The Los Angeles Kings (8-6-3) are rolling on a five-game winning streak following that 3-0 victory over the Blues. During their terrific run, the Kings have netted 19 goals and surrendered just six in a return, while Jonathan Quick posted a couple of shutouts.
Los Angeles is 11th in the NHL in both goals scored per game (3.12) and goals against (2.76). The Kings’ power-play percentage is the 11th-best in the league, too, as LA went 16-for-64 with the man advantage.
LA allowed nine power-play goals on 54 opportunities and ranks ninth in penalty-killing percentage. Jonathan Quick has guarded the cage in three of the last four contests and should get another starting call Wednesday. He’s 5-2-2 on the season and owns a 2.82 GAA and a .903 save percentage, while Calvin Petersen is 3-4-1 with a 2.43 GAA and a .925 save percentage.
The Blues dropped three of their previous four tilts
The St. Louis Blues (10-7-2) took 31 shots towards Jonathan Quick last Monday but failed to find the back of the net for the second time in their last four outings. During that stretch, the Blues outlasted the San Jose Sharks 3-2 in overtime along with a 5-4 home loss to the Sharks and a 1-0 defeat at the Arizona Coyotes.
The 2019 Stanley Cup champions are currently 13th in the league in goals scored per contest (3.05) and 26th in power-play percentage (8-for-58). They allow 3.00 goals per game (21st in the NHL) while posting the sixth-worst penalty-killing percentage (73.5%).
Jordan Binnington has patrolled the crease in the previous four games. He’s 8-5-2 on the season, tallying a 2.50 GAA and a .914 save percentage, while Ville Husso owns a 2-2-0 record with a 3.74 GAA and a .875 save percentage.
Trends:
Los Angeles:
- 2-4 in the last six games against St. Louis
St. Louis:
- N/A
The Kings are at a great spot, but winning six or more games in a row is a tall task in hockey even if you’re a much better team than Los Angeles. The Blues have some injury worries, but they are still a legitimate playoff contender with a lot of top-notch players on their roster.
I’m looking for the Blues to bounce back. Their special teams will have to get things going eventually, especially with the man advantage which should be a key factor against the Kings who’s allowed 54 power-play opportunities through 19 games.
Pick: Take St. Louis at -157
The Total:
I’ve mentioned that Los Angeles allowed only six goals in its last five outings, and that trend is simply unsustainable. The Kings are not that good defensively, but they certainly have enough offensive weapons to score a few times against the Blues.
Six of the last 11 encounters between the Kings and Blues went in the over, producing six or more goals in total each. Also, the over is 6-3 in LA’s previous nine showings away from home.
Pick: Go over 5.5 goals at +106