The Pittsburgh Penguins won’t have much time to sulk over their loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday as they continue their West Coast road trip to face the Los Angeles Kings. The Pens were on a four-game win streak before falling to the Ducks and have lost four straight vs the Kings. Los Angeles, on the other hand, is looking to avoid a five-game losing streak and opened as the favorite in tonight’s matchup.
- The Kings are 0-7 SU in their last seven games against teams with winning records.
- The total has gone UNDER in five of the Kings’ last seven games with two days off between games.
- Sidney Crosby leads all scorers in January with 14 points.
January has not been kind to the Kings, who are 1-4 SU in five games this month. The more damning part of that record is that three of those losses were at Staples Center and it’s dropped Los Angeles to 11-11 SU at home. This downturn has allowed the Kings to plummet to eighth in the Western Conference just ahead of Minnesota.
If the Kings want any shot to bust this slump, they’ll need a better effort on the defensive end as they rank 23rd in the month of January in goals allowed per game. The good news is the Kings are 4-1 SU in their last five games vs Pittsburgh and they still rank as the best defensive team in the league for penalty killing and goals allowed per game despite their rough stretch.
Being a road underdog has not worked out in the Penguins’ favor recently as they’re 2-5 SU in that scenario. But despite the blemishes, Pittsburgh may be playing its best hockey of the season as the team ranks second in goals per game in January and is 5-2 SU in seven games. This uptick has worked them back into the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Pens have also shown they can succeed despite playing two games in two nights as they’re 4-2 SU in the second game of the last six back-to-back sets.
Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick
NHL oddsmakers at Sportsbook had the Los Angeles Kings as -120 moneyline favorites in this betting matchup. Those OVER/UNDER betting saw the line open at 5.5 at Sportsbook.
Handicapping models based on recent betting stats and prediction formulas pick a 2.8-2.7 win for the Kings. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming NHL matchups here.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Los Angeles Kings Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Pittsburgh Penguins will look to vanquish their hosts on Thursday, as they are 24-20-3 this season, while the Kings are 24-15-5. Pittsburgh is 24-21-2 against the total, while Los Angeles is 19-23-2 versus the number. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Los Angeles vs Pittsburgh injuries news.
This game matches up the No. 22 (Los Angeles) and the No. 4 (Pittsburgh) teams according to our current NHL Power Rankings.
Statistical Matchup
Offensively, the game matches up the Los Angeles Kings' No. 15-ranked offense (2.93 goals per game) against a Pittsburgh Penguins defense that ranks No. 22 at 3.11 goals per game allowed. The Kings power play has clicked at a 17.19% rate while the Penguins have a 82.82% rate on the penalty kill.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
Last time out for Pittsburgh, they were a 5-3 loser as they battled the Ducks on the road. Moneyline bettors who got the Ducks at -114 were rewarded, while the 8 combined goals moved the game OVER for totals bettors.
Los Angeles was a 4-1 loser in its last match at home against the Sharks. They lost as favorites, while the total score of 5 made Sportsbooks of UNDER bettors.
- Pittsburgh is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
- Pittsburgh is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
- Pittsburgh is 6-13 SU in its last 19 games on the road
- Pittsburgh is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Los Angeles
- Los Angeles is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games
- Los Angeles is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Los Angeles's last 6 games
- Los Angeles is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Next Betting Matchups
Pittsburgh at San Jose, Saturday, January 20
Los Angeles at Anaheim, Friday, January 19
