Two of the biggest markets in sports will face off on the ice tonight when the Los Angeles Kings take on the Rangers at the historic Madison Square Garden. LA has been on the better side of this matchup for a while now, taking eight of the last 10 matchups against its big-city rival.
This is a clash between a high-flying offense and a lockdown defensive system – I’ll let you guess who’s who – that will really come down to how well Peter Budaj plays. The 34-year-old has dropped three straight decisions but as his .929 road save percentage indicates, Budaj plays much better away from the City of Angels.
New York will be on the second half of a back-to-back tonight and as a 7-1 record in doubleheaders shows, playing on consecutive nights has not fazed the Rangers at all. The Blueshirts opened as the -126 favorites and when you consider the Kings’ 8-15 straight-up record on the road this year, that seems like good value.
Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick
The Los Angeles Kings were listed as 114 underdogs on the NHL hockey moneyline earlier at Sportsbook. The over under total was set at 5.5 before betting started earlier on Monday at Sportsbook.
Handicapping models based on recent betting stats and prediction formulas pick a 3.3-2.2 win for the Rangers. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming NHL matchups here.
Los Angeles Kings vs New York Rangers Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The New York Rangers sport a record of 30-16-1 heading into this matchup, while the Los Angeles Kings sit at 22-20-4 on the season. The OVER/UNDER records are 26-17-4 for the Rangers and 15-22-9 for the Kings. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and New York vs Los Angeles injuries news.
This game puts the New York Rangers, most recently No. 7 in the Odds Shark NHL Power Rankings, up against the Los Angeles Kings, who rate a No. 10 in the latest survey.
Statistical Matchup
Offensively, the game matches up the New York Rangers No. 2-ranked offense (3.49 goals per game) against a Los Angeles Kings defense that ranks No. 8 at 2.54 goals per game allowed. The Rangers Sportsbook has clicked at a 21.53% rate while the Kings have a 81.88% rate on the penalty kill.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
Los Angeles lost its last outing, a 4-2 result against the Islanders on January 21. Bettors who backed the Islanders at +121 on the moneyline won on the day, and the total score (6) sent OVER bettors to the payout window.
The Rangers were a 1-0 Sportsbook in their most recent outing on the road against the Red Wings. That made Sportsbooks of bettors who got New York at -108 on the moneyline, while the total score (1) was good news for OVER bettors.
Next Betting Matchups
Los Angeles at New Jersey, Tuesday, January 24th
New York home to Philadelphia, Wednesday, January 25th