Welcome to the high-flying wild west, where two playoff-worthy clubs in the Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames will lace up the skates, tape their sticks, and go to battle in the northern Rocky Mountains of Western Canada. With that being said, it is time to take a sneak peek at our NHL odds series, where our Kings-Flames prediction and pick will be made.
Entering this high marquee matchup, Los Angeles is fresh off of a bitter defeat at the hands of Edmonton in a 4-3 loss in shootout fashion. The Kings are losers of three out of their last four games but sit at a rock-solid record of 36-23-10. As the road team, the Kings are 18-9-6 on the season.
Calgary is also coming into this Western Conference showdown losing their most recent contest, a gutting low-scoring affair loss to the Avalanche at home 2-1. Even with the slight hiccup occurring, the Flames have arguably been a top-five team in the NHL, including compiling a fantastic 21-7-6 record on their home ice.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Kings-Flames NHL odds:
NHL Odds: Kings-Flames Odds
Los Angeles Kings: +1.5 (+104) ML (+255)
Calgary Flames: -1.5 (-125) ML (-320)
Over: 6.5 (+104)
Under: 6.5 (-128)
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Why the Kings Could Cover the Spread
Yes, the Kings may be stumbling a bit of late, but in no way does LA's recent rough patch define the team's success that has been had 69 games into the campaign. Los Angeles went 21-28 last season, which garnered a 6th place division finish in the COVID-19 shortened NHL season. It was a disappointing one to say the least, but the turnaround from the Kings in 2021-2022 has been nothing short of impressive.
On track for their first winning season since 2017-2018, the Kings have fueled their comeback season by being extremely efficient on defense, ranking within the top ten of the league in goals against per game at 2.77. Additionally, long-time goaltender Jonathan Quick has been a human wall in net for a majority of the year, computing a .909 save percentage while only allowing just north of 2.50 goals per game. With the Lakers and Clippers scrapping it out for a lowly play-in berth in the NBA, has the spotlight shifted front and center to the Kings in the City of Stars?
Why Flames Could Cover the Spread
Simply enough, the Flames are one heck of a hockey team. The Flames have done nothing but blaze the competition almost on a nightly basis, as their 88 total points are good for second-most in the entire Western Conference. In this specific matchup between the top two squads in the Pacific division, Calgary has the edge on paper in numerous categories such as goaltending, scoring, and even killing power-play opportunities.
The Flames are the fifth-best team in penalty kill percentage by squashing 84% of extra-man chances and possess one of the most elite defenses in all of North America. Although the Kings have Quick in net, the Flames obtain an even greater force at the goaltender position in Jacob Markstrom, whose phenomenal campaign continues. Markstrom is allowing a microscopic 2.16 goals per game while going 31-13-7 record-wise. Calgary's rise to prominence was similar to LA's in that not many people saw it coming, as the Flames only went 26-27-3 a year ago. The Flames will cover the spread if they can be on the attack early and often, only supplying their incredible defense with a weight off their shoulders versus a challenging Kings roster.
Final Kings-Flames Prediction & Pick
This may be the most entertaining game in the NHL slate on Thursday. With a prime time spot scheduled at 9 PM ET, the fans in attendance in Calgary will no doubt get their money's worth. Calgary is nearly unbeatable at home and with LA's recent struggles, this is not the type of game to “get right” in. The Flames will present a stout challenge in all facets of the game, as Calgary will pull away late by netting an empty-net goal to cover the spread.
Final Kings-Flames Pick: Flames -1.5 (-125)
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