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A premier Western Conference showdown is on tap later tonight as the Minnesota Wild will head to the City of Angels to battle with the Los Angeles Kings. It is about that time to check out our NHL odds series where our Wild-Kings prediction and pick will be unveiled.
After a pair of gut-wrenching losses to the Blackhawks and Stars, the Kings bounced back nicely by staying above the .500 mark with a victory over a talented Florida Panthers squad at home in a high-scoring affair. Without a doubt, the Kings have struggled to score goals consistently, so the fact that they were able to pit five goals versus Florida is certainly a welcome sign. So far, LA has been rather pedestrian with a 3-3 home record.
As for the Wild, the team that represents the Gopher State has also been as average as it gets with a 5-5-1 record through the first eleven of their top games played of the regular season. However, Minnesota's strong point has in fact come out whenever serving as the road team and have compiled an impressive 3-1-1 mark away from their home ice. After getting blanked by the Kraken 4-0, can the Wild bring more of an offensive presence to this one?
Here are the Wild-Kings NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Wild-Kings Odds
Minnesota Wild: +1.5 (-250)
Los Angeles Kings: -1.5 (+198)
Over: 6.5 (-108)
Under: 6.5 (-112)
Why The Wild Could Cover The Spread
With more than five days off since we last saw the Wild in action, Minnesota should be plenty rested ahead of this intense contest with the Kings. Facing off with Los Angeles for the second time already this year, Minnesota would love nothing more to score as much as they did back during that meeting when the Wild put together a seven-goal performance in the 7-6 win.
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Looking at this offensive attack, Minnesota has been a middle-of-the-pack scoring team as they have combined to average just a shade of three goals per game and have rather been inconsistent to start off the young season. While this could be a direct correlation in the slow start for the Wild, there certainly isn't a lack of talent on the top lines within this constructed roster. The top skater to put the Wild in the win column and give them the best shot at covering the spread will hands-down be their top points-getter in left-winger Kirill Kaprizov and his 13 total points. No question, Kaprizov has excelled at getting to a spot on the ice and using his blazing speed to beat his defender to get a good shot on goal.
Not to mention, the Wild should be getting back some key playmakers that are set to return from injury. Sidelined with an upper-body injury, Marcus Foligno should be a sight for sore eyes for Wild fans as he should provide some depth to an overall beat-up roster.
In addition, be on the lookout for Jordan Greenway to make an impact as he is also making his way back from an upper-body injury. In 62 games last season, Greenway racked up 10 goals and dished out 17 assists.
Why The Kings Could Cover The Spread
Still trying to find their identity during the early part of the season, the Kings have a slew of young and experienced playmakers to help them come out triumphant against the Wild on this Tuesday night. For starters, the Kings will be supplemented by winger Kevin Fiala, who has been nothing short of fantastic with his team-leading 11 assists over his past seven games. Additionally, Fiala has also scored twice over that span to help lead the Kings offensively.
While another splendid offensive showing from Fiala would do wonders for Los Angeles, the Kings would also be in good shape with the spread if they can continue to benefit from the play of the 11th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft in 23-year-old Gabriel Vilardi. Thus far, the promising Vilardi who is loaded with potential has scored nine goals already and is looking like a go-to option on the front line.
However, the most important aspect in covering the spread versus the conference-rival Wild will fall on the shoulders of longtime Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick. Going up against another savvy veteran net-minder in Marc-Andre Fleury, Quick will need to stop some early-period shots in order to establish a rhythm in net. The 36-year-old has been shaky at times with the 41st-best .890 save percentage along with an average of 3.34 goals against. If Quick can turn back the clock this evening, then the Kings will have a tremendous chance to cover the spread with a multiple-goal victory.
Final Wild-Kings Prediction & Pick
It's always a fun one whenever these two teams get together for some hockey, but alas, only one team will get the job done and help bettors win some money. With that being said, put your faith in the Kings to cover with their 8-6 record ATS in comparison to Minnesota's lackluster 4-7 mark. Hammer the Kings!
Final Wild-Kings Prediction & Pick: Kings -1.5 (+198)
