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The Los Angeles Kings will head to Beantown to face the Boston Bruins. It's a Saturday matinee at the TD Garden as we share our NHL odds series and make a Kings-Bruins prediction and pick.
The Kings are 1-0 after opening their season with a 3-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Initially, they struggled through the first two periods as they could not score. But Anze Kopitar helped the Kings break the rut with a hat trick to help get the win.
The Bruins are 1-1 after they won 6-4 against the Montreal Canadiens. Ultimately, it was a tough battle, with goalie Jeremy Swayman looking rusty. But the Bruins overcame adversity and won this game, partially in thanks to Elias Lindhom's three-point night.
Here are the Kings-Bruins NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Kings-Bruins NHL Odds
Los Angeles Kings: +1.5 (-210)
Moneyline: +125
Boston Bruins: -1.5 (+172)
Moneyline: -150
Over: 5.5 (-120)
Under: 5.5 (-102)
How To Watch Devils vs Sabres
Time: 1 PM ET/10 AM PT
TV: ESPN+, New England Sports Network, Bally Sports West
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Kings Could Cover the Spread/Win
- The Kings averaged three goals over the past four games.
- The Kings averaged 3.75 goals over the past four games at TD Garden.
- Anze Kopitar has netted seven goals and 13 assists over 27 games against the Bruins.
- The Kings have covered the spread in the last four games at the TD Garden.
- The Kings have allowed just 2.75 goals per game to the Bruins over the past four meetings at the TD Garden.
The Kings must overcome some barriers as they begin the 2024-2025 season. Sadly, they are without Drew Doughty to start the season. But the Kings overcame that and stuffed the Sabres in the opener.
Kevin Fiala and Adrian Kempe are in the first line, with Kopitar in the middle. Significantly, Fiala and Kempe each netted a helper on Thursday against the Sabres. Kopitar was the beneficiary of that with his three goals. Other players like Quinton Byfield and Trevor Moore will also anchor the second line. Byfield had an assist against the Sabres. However, Moore struggled against the Sabres, registering a -1.
The Kings hope Darcy Keumper can replicate his effort from Thursday when he stopped 32 shots on 33 chances. Ultimately, he may need the same effort from his defense. The Kings will shuffle lines to see which defenseman can step up. Substantially, Joel Edmundson did well in the opener, registering an assist and a plus-minus of +2.
The Kings will cover the spread if the top two lines can capitalize on their chances, and they can generate some early scoring. Then, they must play tighter defense to prevent Keumper from taking too many shots.
Why the Bruins Could Cover the Spread/Win
- Jeremy Swayman is 3-0 against the Kings.
- The Bruins are 7-2 against Darcy Keumper.
- The Bruins have averaged 3.75 goals per game in the last four battles against the Kings.
- David Pastrnak has netted four goals and eight assists over 15 games against the Kings.
- Brad Marchand has potted 16 goals and nine assists and has registered a plus-minus of +18 over 22 career games against the Kings.
The Bruins bounced back with a 6-4 win after stumbling in the season opener against the Florida Panthers. Yet, they are feeling uneasiness as they attempt to play better hockey.
Everything starts with Pastrnak, or “Pasta,” as everyone calls him. Pasta delivered so far this season, with two goals and an assist. Overall, he has been all over the ice and showcasing why he is one of the best in the league. Lindholm has gotten off to a scorching start to his Bruins career. So far, he has netted one goal and three assists, and his scoring leads the team. Pavel Zacha has also been amazing since moving to the first line and had a goal and an assist on Thursday.
Swayman will likely make his second start as he attempts to shake off the rust from his contract holdout. Overall, this defense can tighten up in front of him, but it may have to clamp down to stop the Kings.
The Bruins will cover the spread if Pasta and the first line continue to thrive while the second line avoids making critical mistakes. Then, Swayman must stop the puck, and the defense must avoid bad situations.
Final Kings-Bruins Prediction & Pick
The Kings are 1-0 against the spread, while the Bruins are 1-1. Amazingly, the Bruins are 6-0-4 over the past 10 games. But the Kings are 1-0-4 over the last five at the TD Garden.
The Kings struggled in the faceoff circle in the opener. However, their special teams were solid, converting a powerplay goal and killing off all five penalties. They must continue to do that as they face a team with some of the best powerplay strikers in the game. Consequently, Swayman is still not right, giving the Kings the advantage.
Final Kings-Bruins Prediction & Pick: Los Angeles Kings +1.5 (-210)
