With Jonathan Quick and Ben Bishop now filling out the Kings’ goaltender depth chart, LA has gone from having basically no goalies to having one of the best tandems in the entire league. Bishop is likely to make his first start for his new club tonight when the Kings take on the Central-leading Wild at the Xcel Energy Center looking to climb back into playoff contention.
The Kings aren’t the only team that’s been busy in the lead-up to the deadline. The Wild announced to the hockey world that they’re all in this year by trading a first-round pick, a second-round pick and another conditional draft pick to the Arizona Coyotes for centerman Martin Hanzal. Minnesota’s roster was already rounded to almost spherical perfection but with the addition of one of the best faceoff guys in the league, the Wild have cemented themselves as a top contender.
Heading into this matchup, the Wild are coming off a loss to the division rival Blackhawks and if you look back at their schedule, you’ll see they haven’t lost back-to-back games since early December. As I’ve said many times in the past few weeks, the Wild are insanely good on the puckline and I like that line tonight at a price of about +185.
Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick
NHL Hockey odds makers at Sportsbook had the Minnesota Wild as -150 moneyline favorites in this betting matchup. Those over under betting saw the line open at 5 at Sportsbook.
Odds Shark prediction models pick the Wild to win this game 3.2-2.3. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming NHL matchups here.
Los Angeles Kings vs Minnesota Wild Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Minnesota Wild are 39-14-6 so far on the season. The Los Angeles Kings, meanwhile, are 30-27-4. OVER/UNDER betting fans have seen Minnesota go 30-21-8 and the Kings go 17-28-16 on the totals. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Minnesota vs Los Angeles injuries news.
This game puts the Minnesota Wild, most recently No. 3 in the Odds Shark NHL Power Rankings, up against the Los Angeles Kings, who rate a No. 14 in the latest survey.
Statistical Matchup
Offensively, the game matches up the Minnesota Wild No. 2-ranked offense (3.36 goals per game) against a Los Angeles Kings defense that ranks No. 5 at 2.48 goals per game allowed. The Wild Sportsbook has clicked at a 22.7% rate while the Kings have a 84.74% rate on the penalty kill.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
Los Angeles won its last outing, a 4-1 result against the Ducks on February 25. Bettors who backed the Kings at -160 on the moneyline won on the day, and the total score (5) sent PUSH bettors to the payout window.
Minnesota was a 5-3 loser in its last match at home against the Blackhawks. They lost as favorites, while the total score of 8 made Sportsbooks of OVER bettors.
Next Betting Matchups
Los Angeles at Calgary, Tuesday, February 28th
Minnesota at Winnipeg, Tuesday, February 28th