The Chicago Blackhawks head to the City of Stars to take on the Los Angeles Kings in what should be a thriller! Join us for our NHL odds series where our Blackhawks-Kings prediction and pick will be revealed.
Winners in three of their last four games, could the supposed rebuilding Blackhawks finally be figuring out a winning formula in the final weeks of the regular season? Yes, it is obviously too little too late for Chicago's professional hockey team, but it is an encouraging sign nonetheless that they are stringing together wins at this rate. Most recently, it was Chicago that overwhelmed the San Jose Sharks by a score of 5-2. Can they keep up this type of standout play?
On the other side of things, the Kings are smack dab in the middle of a hectic postseason race. At the moment, Los Angeles is 34-22-11 with a total of 79 points which puts them in third place within the Pacific Division Standings. As legitimate postseason contenders, these are the types of games that LA must have especially in front of their home fans at crypto.com Arena. Four days ago, it was the Kings that did not disappoint in a 5-0 shutout victory over the Blackhawks.
Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Blackhawks-Kings Odds
Chicago Blackhawks: +1.5 (+114)
Moneyline: +290
Los Angeles Kings: -1.5 (-137)
Moneyline: -375
Over: 5.5 (-130)
Under: 5.5 (+106)
How to Watch Blackhawks vs. Kings
Time: 10:00 ET/7:00 PT
TV: ESPN+
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Blackhawks Will Cover The Spread/Win
Of course, a repeat performance like the one against the Kings won't get rid of the sour taste in the mouths of the Blackhawks. In fact, it will make it worse. However, a chance to redeem themselves could very well be in the picture once the final horn blows!
On paper, the one facet of the game that Chicago did have success over Los Angeles in was with their brute force. From a physical standpoint, the Blackhawks out-hit the Kings 26-9, but it was going 0-4 in the power-play department that ultimately did them in. Despite scoring only 15.9% of the time on the extra-man attack, Chicago needs to up their game in a big way if they want to stay relevant in this contest.
Not to mention, but a swifter start to the game would do wonders for the team's chances to cover the spread. Against the Sharks, the Blackhawks fell behind early by a score of 2-0, but they caught fire when it mattered most in the third period. Altogether, a more complete effort will be needed if the Blackhawks are going to take down a team of greater caliber in the Kings.
Why The Kings Will Cover The Spread/Win
Looking to beat the Blackhawks for the fourth consecutive time, the Kings have made a name for themselves on the defensive end of the ice. Believe it or not, but Los Angeles holds the third-best goals-against average in the league at 2.58 per contest. Since the Kings offense is often hit or miss, the heavy reliance on the defense and even goaltending to do most of the heavy lifting out on the ice will be major.
Furthermore, along with Chicago's weakness in scoring on the power play, Los Angeles should have no issues in flexing their muscles on the penalty kill. Truth be told, there is no team in hockey that is as dynamic as the Kings in holding the opposition at bay during extra-man advantages. As it stands, the Kings hold the top penalty-killing unit in hockey as they on average stonewall roughly 86% of such attacks. In the long run, don't be surprised if this is a big reason why the Kings are able to handle their business.
Final Blackhawks-Kings Prediction & Pick
It isn't often wise to bet against a red-hot team like the Blackhawks at the moment, but at the end of the day, the Kings are the better team and is still jostling for playoff positioning. Side with LA to get the job done.
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Final Blackhawks-Kings Prediction & Pick: Kings -1.5 (-137)
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