The Los Angeles Kings begin a road trip east as they face the Columbus Blue Jackets. It is time to continue our NHL  odds series with a Kings-Blue Jackets prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.

The Kings come into the game sitting as one of the best in the NHL, sitting at 14-4-3 on the year. They have won six of their last seven games and last time out they faced the Colorado Avalanche. Josh Manson opened the game with a goal in the first period, to give the Avalanche the 1-0 lead in the first. In the second, Quinton Byfield tied it up, and then he would score the first goal in the score to make it 2-1 for the Kings. The Kings would add another goal and then an empty net goal and would end up winning 4-1.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets come into the game at 8-14-4 on the year. The Blue Jets have been better as of late, winning five of their last eight games overall. Last time out they faced the Boston Bruins. With no goals in the first period, it was with 35 seconds left in the second period that the first goal was scored. Boone Jenner scored the goal to give the Blue Jackets the 1-0 lead. In the third period, Brad Marchand scored three times in six minutes, including two power-play goals to take the 3-1 lead. They would end up holding on to that lead and the Bruins won 3-1.

Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NHL Odds: Kings-Blue Jackets Odds

Los Angeles Kings: -1.5 (+118)

Columbus Blue Jackets: +1.5 (-142)

Over: 6.5 (+106)

Under: 6.5 (-130)

How to Watch Kings vs. Blue Jackets

Time: 7:00 PM ET/ 4:00 PM PT

TV: NHLPP/ESPN+

Stream: FuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Kings Will Cover The Spread

The Kings are the highest-scoring team in the NHL this year. They are scoring 3l86 goals per game this year, sitting first in the NHL. Adrian Kempe comes in as the leader in points this year. He has eight goals and 14 assists on the year for his 22 points. He also has five assists on the power play, while also having a short-handed goal this year. Trevor Moore comes into the game as the leader in goals this year, while being tied for second in points this year. He comes in with 12 goals on the season and eight assists. He has two goals and three assists on the power play while also having a shorthanded goal.

Meanwhile, Anze Kopitar and Kevin Fiala both are tied for second on the team in points with Moore. Kopitar comes in with ten goals and ten assists on the year, to have his 20 points. He also has three power-play goals and two assists when man-up. Kevin Fiala comes in with six goals and 14 assists this year, good for his 20 points. He has a goal and six assists on the power play this year. Meanwhile, Carl Grundstrom comes into the game with seven goals of his own. He has those seven goals plus two assists this year for nine points.

On the power play, the Kings sit 17th in the NHL. They have converted on a 19.7 percent conversion rate this year and 15 power-play goals. Still, on the power play, the Kings are first in the NHL sitting at an 89.7 percent success rate on the penalty kill.

Pheonix Copley will be in goal tonight for the Blue Jackets. He is 3-0-2 on the year with a 3.04 goals-against average and a .868 save percentage. His last two games have been great. Over the last two games, he has saved 48 of 49 shots, including having a shutout and taking two wins.

Why The Blue Jackets Will Cover The Spread

The Blue Jackets sit 24th in the NHL this year in goals per game with 2.85 goals per game. The top goal scorer this year is Bonne Jenner. He comes into the game with 13 goals and five assists to lead the team in goals. Jenner is also second on the team this year in points. He has not done much on the power play though, with just three goals and an assist on the power play this year. Meanwhile, Zach Werenski comes in leading the team in points this year. He has one goal on the year but leads the team in assists with 18, giving him 19 total points this year. Joining him in scoring well is another blue liner. Ivan Provorov comes in with two goals and 13 assists on the year.

Second on the team in goals, this year is Kirill Marchenko. He comes into the game with seven of them, plus six assists giving him 13 points. Meanwhile, Dmitri Voronkov and Johnny Gaudreau have been solid. Voronkov comes in with five goals and seven assists, while Gaudreau comes in with three goals and ten assists on the year.

The Blue Jackets have struggled on the power play this year. They sit 27th in the NHL this year on the power play with a 12.7 percent conversion percentage and just ten goals. Still, the Blue Jackets have been great when man down this year. They are fourth in the NHL this year when man-down, killing 86.8 percent of chances this year.

Elvis Merzlikins is projected to start once again in goal for the Blue Jackets. Merzlikins comes into the game with a 5-8-3 record on the year and a 3.04 goals-against average. He also has a .911 save percentage on the year. He has been solid as of late. In his last five starts, he has a save percentage of over .900 in all of them, while being above .915 in four of them. that has led to him getting three wins and two losses, with one of the losses being by just one goal.

Final Kings-Blue Jackets Prediction & Pick

The key to this game will be seeing if the Blue Jackets can score. With Pheonix Copley in the net, that is highly likely. He has been very up and down, and rarely does he have back-to-back solid starts. The King's defense is good, but with how Merzlikins is playing, expect them to keep this one close.

Final Kings-Blue Jackets Prediction & Pick: Columbus Blue Jackets +1.5 (-142)