Buckle up hockey fans for a hotly contested matchup with major playoff implications on the line as the Los Angeles Kings take on the Calgary Flames. Join us for our NBA odds series where our Kings-Flames prediction and pick will be made.
Looking in on the outside of the playoff picture as it stands, Calgary currently possesses 81 points and trails the final Wild Card spot in the west by four points with only eight games to play in the regular seasons. In their last time out on the ice, it was the Flames that were able to come out victorious as expected against a lesser Sharks team by a score of 5-3 on Saturday.
As for the Kings, Los Angeles will look to carry their recent momentum with another victory later this evening. So far, the Kings have been one of the more impressive all-around squads in the Western Conference with a 43-20-10 record as they definitely have serious Stanley Cup aspirations. Winners of three straight, the Kings are playing some of their best hockey of the year at the most opportunistic of times!
Here are the Kings-Flames NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Kings-Flames Odds
Los Angeles Kings: +1.5 (-230)
Calgary Flames: -1.5 (+188)
Over: 5.5 (-140)
Under: 5.5 (+114)
How To Watch Kings vs. Flames
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 9:00 ET/6:00 PT
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Kings Could Cover The Spread
Not only are the Kings an impressive 40-33 against the spread this season, but they also display tremendous balance in all aspects on the ice. On paper, the most dangerous part about Los Angeles is the fact that their offensive efficiency has never been more dynamic than it has been now. Believe it or not, but the Kings have gone on to score 19 goals over the course of their previous three-game winning streak and are averaging a healthy 3.45 scores per game this season. More specifically, it has been a ferocious power-play attack that has let to let them down. In their high-scoring affair versus St. Louis that resulted in a 7-6 victory, the Kings scored on the extra-man advantage four separate times and also boast the second-best power-play conversion rate in all of the NHL at 25.7%.
Not to mention, holding onto leads and keeping the foot on the gas will be a must. Against the Blues, it was the Kings that relinquished their lead to a lone goal three different times before officially closing the door on St. Louis. Alas, if LA jumps out to an early lead in this one, they cannot afford to get lackadaisical and complacent if they want to cover the spread and ultimately win their fourth-straight contest.
Why The Flames Could Cover The Spread
Simply put, it's not or never for this Calgary Flames bunch. At first glance, desperation has hit an all-time high, as Calgary clearly needs to win almost every game down the stretch to keep their postseason dreams alive and avoid a massive letdown to their lofty preseason expectations.
In order to cover the spread and give their home fans some hope with about a couple weeks remaining in the regular season, it would be wise to use last week's 8-2 beatdown to this same exact team fresh in the mind to help motivate them to play much better. When the horn sounded on that disastrous showing on Mar. 20th, the Flames couldn't do a whole lot right including committing a whopping 20 penalty minutes which ended up being their downfall. In addition, they were also out-shot 39-18 and failed to gather any sort of momentum on the offensive end of the ice. Obviously, a repeated effort cannot take place if the Flames want to keep their season alive, as they must make it a priority to play a clean brand of hockey while also figuring out a way to remain aggressive on the attack whenever the puck is in their possession.
If all else fails, Calgary can find solace in the fact that it appears that forward Kazeem Kadri is starting to find is groove again with goals in consecutive games after a lengthy 16-game point drought. The former Avalanche star from last year's Stanley Cup champs, there is no doubt that Kadri will serve as tonight's biggest difference-maker and X Factor with the Flames officially in must-win mode.
Final Kings-Flames Prediction & Pick
Whether or not the Flames win remains to be seen in front of their home fans, asking Calgary to win by multiple goals seems like a tough ask to cover considering how scalding-hot Los Angeles has been this season.
Final Kings-Flames Prediction & Pick: Kings +1.5 (-230)
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