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The Tampa Bay Lightning and Los Angeles Kings may not be the most significant rivalry in the NHL, but it has the potential to be the most exciting game of Saturday night. The Kings have been on a recent stretch of winning, which has risen them to second in the Pacific Division. Meanwhile, the Lightning sit fourth in the Atlantic with plenty of games in hand. The Lightning could've been in a better position, but back-to-back losses to two of the league's worst teams have them reeling and searching for answers. The teams don't play each other often, but the Lightning dominate the season series, winning eight of the past ten matchups. It's time to continue our NHL odds series with a Lightning-Kings prediction and pick.
Here are the Lightning-Kings NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Lightning-Kings Odds
Tampa Bay Lightning: +1.5 (-260)
Moneyline: +105
Los Angeles Kings: -1.5 (+210)
Moneyline: -125
Over: 6 (+100)
Under: 6 (-120)
How To Watch Lightning vs. Kings
Time: 9 PM ET/6 PM PT
TV: Fanduel Sports Network
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
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Why the Lightning Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Lightning are reeling and desperate for a win after losing three of their past five games. Splitting a home-and-home series with the Florida Panthers and then earning a win over the New York Rangers wasn't an issue. However, dropping two consecutive games to the Montreal Canadiens and San Jose Sharks is an issue. The offense sputtered over the past two games since Jake Guentzel suffered an injury against the Rangers. It's a bad sign for the Lightning if one player's health puts their offense in an upheaval. Guentzel missed the Canadiens game but didn't look good when he returned against the Sharks.
Despite some recent success, one issue for the Kings is their defense and goaltending. It's hard to make this point after they shut out the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday, but Darcy Kuemper and David Rittich allowed three or more goals in six of their past seven games. Poor goaltending won't help them against the Lightning, as Tampa Bay is first in the league with 3.86 goals per game. Another issue for the Kings is that they could get a motivated Lightning team after scoring just two goals against the Canadiens and one against the Sharks.
Why the Kings Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Kings are beginning to look ahead to Stanley Cup contention in 2025 and are likely one or two trade pieces away from being one of the top teams in the Western Conference. Los Angeles has a 6-2-2 record over its past ten games, including victories over the Edmonton Oilers and New Jersey Devils in two of its last three. The Oilers have been a roadblock for the Kings in recent years, so it's a confidence boost to snag a victory over their Canadian rivals finally.
As previously mentioned, the Kings' goaltending has been struggling recently. However, their defense has been a strength this season. The Kings are fourth in the league with 2.54 goals against per game, while their offense is also in the top half with 3.14 goals.
Final Lightning-Kings Prediction & Pick
We had this opinion on the Lightning in their game against the Sharks, and it burned us with a 2-1 loss. However, we'll go back to the well and say the Lightning won't take kindly to losing back-to-back games against two of the league's worst teams. The Kings have been in good form, but it feels like a game that Tampa Bay will figure out how to win.
Final Lightning-Kings Prediction & Pick: Lightning ML (+105)
