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The Los Angeles Kings will finish their five-game road trip with a battle against the Carolina Hurricanes. It will be a throwdown at the Lenovo Center as we continue our NHL odds series and make a Kings-Hurricanes prediction and pick.
The Hurricanes are 13-8 in their past 21 games against the Kings. Additionally, the Canes are 8-2 over their past 10 games against the Kings and 4-1 in their past five games at the Lenovo Center. This will be the first meeting between the Kings and Hurricanes this season.
Here are the Kings-Hurricanes NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Kings-Hurricanes Odds
Los Angeles Kings: +1.5 (-192)
Moneyline: +142
Carolina Hurricanes: -1.5 (+154)
Moneyline: -172
Over: 5.5 (-108)
Under: 5.5 (-112)
How To Watch Kings vs Hurricanes
Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
TV: ESPN+, FanDuel Sports South and FanDuel Sports West
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Kings Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Kings are struggling, having lost four games in a row, not even scoring a goal in two consecutive games. Overall, the Kings are 2-7-1 in their past 10 games and suddenly are in danger of falling out of a playoff spot. The scoring has been abysmal, and the Kings may need to trade for a middle-winger to have a chance of making the playoffs and actually making it past the first round.
Adrian Kempe has 24 goals and 20 assists. However, he has not scored in four consecutive games. Anze Kopitar has netted 12 goals and 31 assists. Yet, he also has not done anything over five games. Kevin Fiala has fired 16 goals and 13 assists. Ultimately, he has not scored in two games. Alex Laferrierre has tallied 13 goals and 15 assists. Likewise, he also has struggled, not getting anything through over two games.
The Kings are just 28th in goals and 26th in assists. Also, they rank 24th in shooting percentage. Being on the powerplay has not helped, as the Kings are just 29th on the extra-man attack.
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Darcy Kuemper likely gets the start in this game and comes in with a record of 14-6-6 with a goals-against average of 2.17 and a save percentage of .919. He will play behind a defense that is third in goals against and seventh on the penalty kill. Yet, the defense will have one of their reliable weapons ready to go. Drew Doughty recently returned and will look to help the Kings end the slump and prevent the Canes from scoring.
The Kings will cover the spread if Kempe and Kopitar can convert on their chances and generate some scoring to pull themselves out of this slump. Then, their defense must clamp down and prevent the Hurricanes from taking over.
Why the Hurricanes Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Hurricanes landed Mikko Rantanen in a blockbuster deal recently, and he has already made a big contribution to the team, netting a goal and an assist over three games. His teammates have been good, too.
Sebastian Aho has 17 assists and 34 assists this season. Also, he already has an assist over Rantanen's first two games. Seth Jarvis has tallied 20 goals and 20 assists, including one in each of the last two games. Meanwhile, Andrei Svechnikov has converted 17 goals and 20 assists and recently had two goals and one assist against the New York Rangers this week. Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere has delivered with six goals and 22 assists.
The Hurricanes are third in goals and assists. Additionally, they are 15th in shooting percentage. The struggles on the powerplay have continued, as the Canes are just 28th on the extra-man attack.
Pyotr Kochetkov and Frederik Andersen have shared the net. Whoever starts will play behind a defense that is ninth in goals against and first on the penalty kill.
The Hurricanes will cover the spread if Rantanen can continue playing well and set up opportunities for teammates while converting on chances himself. Then, the defense must continue to play tight and continue the Kings' misery.
Final Kings-Hurricanes Prediction & Pick
The Kings are 24-25 against the spread, while the Hurricanes are 25-27 against the spread. Moreover, the Kings are 15-15 against the spread on the road, while the Canes are 15-11 against the spread at home. The Kings are 17-29-3 against the over/under, while the Hurricanes are 21-26-5 against the over/under.
It has not been pretty for the Kings lately. Unfortunately, they just cannot score and are also allowing more goals than usual. I don't expect this to change as they face one of the best defensive teams in the NHL and one that does not give many chances. Because of these factors, I am picking the Hurricanes to win this game while covering the spread at home.
Final Kings-Hurricanes Prediction & Pick: Carolina Hurricanes: -1.5 (+154)
