In the nightcap of Thursday's NHL action, the Winnipeg Jets will meet up with the Los Angeles Kings as each side will look to get an early season upper hand in a crowded Western Conference standings picture. Let's take a sneak peek at our NHL odds series where our Jets-Kings prediction and pick will be unveiled.
After being able to snap a two-game skid by utterly dominating the Blues in a 4-0 shutout win, the 3-3 Winnipeg Jets will continue their march of returning to postseason play after missing out on the playoffs a year ago for the first time in nearly five seasons. With a rich hockey tradition of fielding a competitive team throughout the years, can the Jets look like a playoff-bound squad when they face off with the Kings in Los Angeles tonight?
On the other hand, the Kings also sit at the .500 mark at 4-4 and are still seeking to find their identity eight games into the season. With one of the more impressive victories up to this point in a home win against the three-time Eastern Conference champs by a score of 4-2, Los Angeles will attempt to carry on with their newfound momentum in this primetime matchup with Winnipeg.
Here are the Jets-Kings NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Jets-Kings Odds
Winnipeg Jets: +1.5 (-205)
Los Angeles Kings: -1.5 (+164)
Over: 6 (-122)
Under: 6 (+100)
Why The Jets Could Cover The Spread
Coming into this one with a 1-2 road record, we last saw Winnipeg also play one of the best overall games of the season in a rout against the Blues. If there is anything that the Jets have struggled with, it has been scoring enough goals to give themselves a chance at winning games. At first glance, this is quite the opposite of how the Kings look to be constructed up to this point as Winnipeg's strong suit sits with goalie Connor Hellebuyuck while the offense has appeared flat more often than not. Through their six games played, the most goals scored by the Jets this year has been four three separate times. Simply put, this offense is averaging only 2.67 goals per game and needs to design their strategy for tonight's game around creating good scoring looks for the offense.
With that being said, this offense does not have to be perfect and they can still have a tremendous chance to cover. In regards to the spread, Winnipeg is a very disciplined team that has only logged in 45 penalty minutes up to this point which has made life a whole lot easier for the defense. Conversely, having Hellebuyuck in net also is a game-changer. Alas, there haven't been very many goalies in the NHL that have been as dominant as the Jet's net-minder. Plus, Hellebuyuck is red-hot coming off of his 29th career shutout, and has simply looked flawless.
Why The Kings Could Cover The Spread
Like previously stated, the Kings played the best they have played all season long versus Tampa Bay and come into this one with a swagger that hasn't necessarily been present through the team's first seven games. Now, the Kings may have found the confidence they needed to transform this squad from a middle-of-the-pack team to a crew that can possibly make some noise around the league.
While there is no question that the season is still extremely young, it is encouraging for the Kings to show that they can hang with some of the elite teams in the league. Heading into this showdown with another talented squad on paper in the Jets, Los Angeles must make sure that they take advantage of every single opportunity against a goaltender with the likes of Connor Hellebuyuck. If the Kings can pepper him with some shots on goal and keep the puck in the Jets' zone, then they may able to sneak a pair of shots passed him.
Not to mention, even though the Jets have excelled in scoring goals of late, they will need to address the issues coming from the defensive side of the ice. Whether it's been a combination of poor defense or shaky goaltending, the Kings are allowing 4.13 goals per game and need to be less sloppy if they want to cover the spread at home.
Final Jets-Kings Prediction & Pick
Without a doubt, the Jets and Kings enter battle with two of their best victories to date when it comes to the 2022-2023 regular season. While this matchup may indeed come down to a game of runs, expect the Jets to provide just enough offense and to combat the Kings' high-octane offensive onslaught to cover the spread as visitors.
Final Jets-Kings Prediction & Pick: Jets +1.5 (-205)
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