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The Florida Panthers head to sunny Southern California to take on the Los Angeles Kings. The Panthers have won five in a row while the Kings have struggled lately. It's time to continue our NHL odds series with a Panthers-Kings prediction and pick.
Florida is riding a strong wave, having won five in a row. Their most recent victory was a 6-3 shellacking of the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night. The Panthers have gone 7-3 over their past 10 games. They currently sit in the top spot in the Atlantic Division and second overall in the Eastern Conference. The Kings lost 5-0 to the San Jose Sharks last night in the Bay Area. It was the second loss in three nights against the Sharks. Los Angeles currently sits in second place in the Pacific Division. They look to end their slump as they host a strong Panthers team.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Panthers-Kings NHL odds:
NHL Odds: Panthers-Kings Odds
Panthers: -1.5 (+116)
Kings: +1.5 (-142)
Over: 6.5 (-115)
Under: 6.5 (-105)
Why The Panthers Could Cover The Spread/Win
Florida is not in first place in the Atlantic due to sheer luck. This team has scorched the rest of the NHL with a league-leading 241 goals. That amounts to an average of 4.15 goals per game. Aleksander Barkov leads the charge with 26 goals on 59 total points. Winger Jonathan Huberdeau has contributed 64 assists to go with 82 total points. Defenseman Aaron Ekblad has provided a boost with a plus/minus stat of 38.
The biggest reason Florida has maintained success starts with goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. After struggling in his first two seasons in Florida, he has rebounded in a big way this season. Bobrovsky is 30-6-3 with a 2.57 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage. His stellar performance has given the Panthers the confidence they need to succeed.
Their power play was exceptional on Thursday as they notched two power-play goals on four chances. This moves their power play percentage rate to ninth in the NHL. When they are clicking, Florida's extra-man attack is as dangerous as any team in the NHL. Barkov, Huberdeau, and Ekblad power the attack and will need to click to take down the Kings. In their only game with the Kings, they went 0 for 4 on the power play. Barkov did not play in that contest and will be active for this battle, giving Florida an extra boost.
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One thing that works in Florida's favor is the rest factor. The Kings played the Sharks at home on Thursday then traveled to San Jose to face them last night. This will be the third game in four days for Los Angeles, and Florida should look to take advantage of some tired bodies on the ice.
Why The Kings Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Kings are reeling after two straight losses to San Jose. But they have the benefit of the doubt as they did go into Sunrise and beat the Panthers in December. In that game, the Kings won 4-1 behind a spectacular performance by goalie Jonathan Quick. Quick made 41 saves on 42 shot attempts. He is the projected goalie to start in this match after Calvin Petersen started last night.
Adrian Kempe has been a goal-scoring machine for the Kings, tallying 36 on the season so far. Anze Kopitar has provided the spark, as he has 36 assists on 51 overall points. Kopitar was a big reason the Kings won in Florida the last time as he scored one of the four goals to propel Los Angeles to victory. They also dominated the matchup with Bobrovsky as he struggled giving up four goals on 31 shots.
The biggest factor to why the Kings beat Florida last time was their penalty kill. They killed four Florida power play chances and blocked 16 shots throughout the game. It was a rare victory in that category as they have struggled on the kill, ranking 28th in the NHL. They allowed one power-play goal on four chances last night, so staying out of the penalty box will be pivotal.
Los Angeles also won the faceoff battle, winning 68 percent of the draws. This is their strength as they currently rank seventh in the NHL in faceoff percentage. If they can win the faceoffs and stay out of the box, the Kings can cover and win.
Final Panthers-Kings Prediction & Pick
This is a tough game to pick because of the recent dominance by the Kings. They have won 16 of the last 22 games against Florida dating back to the beginning of the 2005-2006 season. But the Panthers are red-hot right now and well-rested. These teams enjoy putting the puck into the net as three of the last four matchups have had at least seven goals combined. Florida's firepower and Los Angeles' recent struggles will guarantee that happening again.
Final Panthers-Kings Prediction & Pick: Over 6.5 (-115)
