New Jersey Devils vs. Los Angeles Kings Betting Preview
The New Jersey Devil continue their trip out West taking on the Los Angeles Kings in this cross-conference matchup. Puck drop for this game is scheduled for 10:00 p.m. eastern from the Staples Center.
The Devils are currently on a two-game skid but looking to get out of that tonight. They are going to have to be much better than they were on Tuesday when the Ducks beat the 0-4.
The Kings are on a three-game winning streak. On Wednesday night, they were able to defeat the Blues by a score of 3-2 after winning in the shootout.
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Betting Odds & Lines
BetUs has the Kings as the moneyline favorite at -125. The Devil’s moneyline is at +105. Over at BetOnline, they also have the Kings as the moneyline favorite at -123. Both sportsbooks have the goals total set at 5½.
Getting Out of this Hole
There was not a whole lot of excitement for this Devils team to start the season. They were not expected to finish with an amazing record or near the top of their division. However, they came out and won their first three of four, and had people talking.
They have since slowed down and struggled to find wins, and one of their top performers, Jack Hughes, will be out for a little more than a month with a shoulder injury.
With Hughes out, the offense is going to have to come from everyone; they have lost their most skilled scorer. As of right now, their top point total is at six, with three players tied.
Pavel Zacha and Andreas Johnsson are both tied with four goals. The Devils are going to need someone to step up in Hughes’s absence and find a way to take over the offense.
Kings are On a Roll Now
The start of the season did not go as planned for the Kings. After an opening night win, they proceeded to lose their next six games. Since then, they seemed to have figured each other out and are on a three-game winning streak.
The Kings will also be dealing with a major injury as their top defenseman, Drew Doughty, is out for several weeks with a knee injury.
Anze Kopitar is not only the captain of the team, but he is also leading in points on the club as well. Kopitar has 13 points, with six goals and seven assists. Alex Iafallo is right behind him with nine points, scoring four goals and assisting on five others.
The Kings will need to find a way to stay aggressive offensively as they are currently averaging just 2.6 goals per game, which leaves them in the bottom 10 of the NHL.
Goaltending Matchup
The Devils are down to Jonathan Bernier at goaltender after Scott Wedgewood was claimed by the Arizona Coyotes. Bernier is 3-1 and giving up 2.74 goals per game. If Bernier can continue this level of play, hopefully, it will get the rest of the team inspired to play better hockey.
Jonathan Quick and Calvin Petersen have received starts for the Kings at goaltender. Quick is 2-3-1 and is giving up 2.47 goals per game. Petersen is 2-2 and giving up 3.28 goals per game.
The Picks
The Kings are playing better hockey at the moment. They have beat very good hockey teams in this three-game span and only getting better.
The Devils seem to be playing much more like how everyone expected. With Hughes out for so long, sustaining any type of success is going to be very difficult.
When making your NHL picks, take the Los Angeles Kings moneyline.