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The Dallas Stars will continue their California road trip with a battle with the Los Angeles Kings on Friday. It will be a clash at Crypto as we continue our NHL odds series and make a Stars-Kings prediction and pick.
The Stars are 28-17 over their past 45 games against the Kings. Also, the Stars are 7-3 over 10 games against the Kings. But the Kings are 3-2 in the past five games at Crypto against the Stars. The Kings defeated the Stars 3-2 on December 4, 2024, at Crypto and will look to replicate the results.
Here are the Stars-Kings NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Stars-Kings Odds
Dallas Stars: +1.5 (-265)
Moneyline: -102
Los Angeles Kings: -1.5 (+210)
Moneyline: -118
Over: 5.5 (-105)
Under: 5.5 (-115)
How To Watch Stars vs Kings
Time: 10:30 PM ET/7:30 PM PT
TV: ESPN+, Victory + and FanDuel Sports West
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Stars Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Stars lost Miro Heiskanen, a critical blow to their defense. While the Stars are still one of the best teams in the NHL, some issues are arising, and they must address them quickly. Things did not go well against the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday, as their offense mustered just one goal despite firing 27 shots on net. Ultimately, the offense was the issue, as none of the lines could mesh. It was a similar result in their last battle with the Kings.
The Stars started that game fast with a powerplay goal from Wyatt Johnston. Then, Mason Marchment added a goal halfway through the first period to give the Stars a 2-0 lead. But the wheels began to fall off the train tracks in the second period as they allowed Tanner Jeannot to get one through the net. Later, they allowed Joe Edmunson to tie it with less than five minutes left. Once the third period was two minutes in, they let Warren Foegel score to give the Kings the advantage. Overall, the Stars finished with 28 shots on goal while winning 56 percent of the faceoffs while going 1 for 2 on the powerplay.
Jake Oettinger made just 14 saves while allowing three goals. Ultimately, the Stars killed off two penalties while leveling eight hits and blocking 13 shots. Oettinger hopes to bounce back from his loss and comes into this game with a mark of 2-3 with a 2.45 goals-against average and a save percentage of .922 against the Kings.
The Stars will cover the spread if they can get off to a hot start again. Then, they must avoid collapsing down the stretch and prevent the Kings from putting pucks in the back of the net.
Why the Kings Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Kings still might add some players at the trade deadline. Unfortunately, they have been struggling recently. While they have won two games in a row, they had gone 2-8 over the previous 10 games. The midseason lull has hit, and the Kings need to win to sustain their spot and avoid falling below the playoff line. This will be the first of back-to-back games for the Kings as they also host the Ducks on Saturday before the two-week break for Four Nations Face-Off.
When the Kings fell behind 2-0 against the Stars, they looked dead and lifeless. Yet, they pulled themselves together, and Jeannot and Edmunson got them back into it. Foegele gave the Kings the game-winning goal to help the Kings pull through. Despite firing off only 17 shots, the Kings still scored three goals. Additionally, the Kings won despite only winning 44 percent of the faceoffs and going 0 for 2 on the powerplay.
David Rittich made 26 saves while allowing two goals. Furthermore, the defense in front of him went 1 for 2 on the penalty kill while leveling 32 hits and blocking 21 shots.
The Kings will cover the spread if their offense can avoid the slow start and find ways to score plenty of goals. Then, they must avoid taking early penalties.
Final Stars-Kings Prediction & Pick
The Stars are 24-29 against the spread, while the Kings are 26-25 against the spread. Moreover, the Stars are 8-17 against the spread on the road, while the Kings are 10-10 against the spread at home. The Stars are 17-32-4 against the over/under, while the Kings are 19-29-3 against the over/under.
I think this game will be very similar to the last one. Overall, both defenses are playing well right now, with the Stars thriving despite not having Heiskenen. Consequently, both teams will have trouble putting pucks into the back of the net as the defenses buzz throughout the ice, preventing scoring chances. The under will hit in this game, with a 3-2 or 3-1 score likely.
Final Stars-Kings Prediction & Pick: Under 5.5 (-115)
