An intense inter-conference duel is on tap for this Tuesday as the Los Angeles Kings square off with the Carolina Hurricanes in what should be an entertaining bout. Join us for our NHL odds series where our Kings-Hurricanes prediction and pick will be revealed.

The Kings saw their three-game winning streak be snapped after a 5-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday and have since received three days of rest before their duel with the Hurricanes this evening. Altogether, Los Angeles comes into this one with a 28-18-6 record and are right in the thick of the playoff race out west.

As for the Hurricanes, Carolina enters play on a five-game winning streak and have only lost once in the past couple weeks. At first glance, the ‘Canes boast an extremely lethal 32-9-8 record and are fresh off of a convincing shellacking of the Boston Bruins by a score of 4-1.

Here are the Kings-Hurricanes NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel

NHL Odds: Kings-Hurricanes Odds

Los Angeles Kings: +1.5 (-154)

Carolina Hurricanes: -1.5 (+126)

Over: 6 (-104)

Under: 6 (-118)

How To Watch Kings vs. Hurricanes

TV: ESPN+

Stream: ESPN+

Time: 7:00 ET/4:00 PT

*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Kings Could Cover The Spread

For starters, the best route for the Kings to embark on that would nearly guarantee a covering of the spread will be to somehow find a way to score frequently off of Carolina and their excellent goaltending play. On paper, LA does average nearly 3.20 goals per game and have been hard to slow down in large part due to the Kings' ability to keep the puck in their opponent's zone.

Not to mention, but the play of left-winger Kevin Fiala has certainly been a sight for sore eyes for this club as the 26-year-old from Switzerland has reeled off 52 total points and has been the heartbeat of the Kings' offense so far this season. If Carolina proves that they do not have what it takes to slow down LA's top points-getter, then the Hurricanes could be in for a long day.

Most importantly, it will prove to be vital for the Kings to be more efficient in the power-play department. Over the course of their previous three games, Los Angeles has gone 1-9 on the extra-man attack and must find a way to score more abundantly when Carolina gets hit with penalties. As a whole, consider this just a small crack in the Kings' armor as LA has posted a top-ten percentage when it comes to converting on these power-plays.

Why The Hurricanes Could Cover The Spread

Believe it or not, but the Carolina Hurricanes are playing like a team that has serious aspirations in hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup by summer's end. Whether it's attacking the enemy with a surplus of goals or stopping everything in sight in net, Carolina is as balanced of a squad as they come.

In order for the ‘Canes to improve upon their 21-28 record against the spread that ranks near the bottom half of the league, it will be important for them to continue to play at a high pace that also includes firing a good amount of pucks on net. In their last outing versus the Bruins, Carolina made Boston work for everything in their own zone as the Hurricanes slapped 36 shots on goal en route to the victory. Whether the Kings will be ready for these kinds of looks remains to be seen, but this type of aggressive strategy should no doubt be implemented.

Of course, the best option that the Hurricanes have when it comes to covering will fall on the shoulders of a goaltending committee that has been extremely tough to beat. At first glance, the ‘Canes have three goalies with at least 14 starts under their belts as they all have also recorded at least ten wins as well. However, the best net-minder of this bunch is arguably Antti Raanta, who happens to have a pair of shutouts to his name as well as a pretty solid 2.55 goals against average to boot. If Raanta is is net, then the Kings may struggle to get any scores on the board as Raanta has only surrendered six goals over his previous three starts.

Final Kings-Hurricanes Prediction & Pick

There is no question that both these teams have what it takes to cover the spread this evening, but it will end up being the Hurricanes and their recent dominance within the confines of their home arena that will prove to be the difference-maker in the hotly contested matchup.

Final Kings-Hurricanes Prediction & Pick: Hurricanes -1.5 (+126)