The Los Angeles Kings (23-16-7) are heading to the east coast to take on the Detroit Red Wings (20-20-6) in this cross conference matchup. Detroit is currently teetering at .500 and unsure which direction they’ll head next, while the Kings are looking to jump past the Anaheim Ducks in the standings with a win.
Which team looks like the better pick? Check out this article to learn everything you need to know to maximize your NHL betting strategies!
Last Games Records
The Red Wings are coming off of a big overtime win over the Anaheim Ducks at home on Monday. Team captain Dylan Larkin had a two-point night with a goal and an assist, while Jordan Oesterle buried the puck in the net for the overtime winner past John Gibson. Alex Nedeljkovic didn’t have a very busy night, stopping 14 of 15 shots.
The Kings are also coming off of a big win, defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 on the road. Captain Anze Kopitar had two assists, while Trevor Moore scored two goals on three shots on net. Drew Doughty and Alex Iafallo also contributed to scoring, with the team generating 38 shots against Tristan Jarry.
Cal Peterson didn’t have his best night, stopping 23 of 26 shots with an SV% of .885.
Matchup Information
- Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 PM EST
- On February 2nd
- At Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
Kings at Red Wings Betting Analysis
Kings Betting Analysis
The Kings are looking to jump over the Anaheim Ducks, only two points behind the second-place spot with two games in hand. With a huge win over the Penguins on Monday night, the Kings have proven that they are more than capable of beating the top teams in the league, not to mention while also being on the road.
LA is only four points behind Vegas for first in the Pacific Division as well – with all of the teams in a tight race for the top spot, the Kings are certainly going to be going into tonight’s matchup with a must-win mentality.
Anze Kopitar leads the team in scoring with 41 points in 46 games, dropping off slightly in point production as of late but continuing to have a solid season overall. There’s a pretty significant drop after Kopitar, as no one else on the team has broken 30 points on the season yet.
Alex Iafallo is the closest at 28 points, while Adrian Kemp leads the team in goals scored at 18. Drew Doughty has been solid since returning from injury earlier this season, with 23 points in 27 games from the blueline.
Goaltending has been mostly solid for the team this season, though it has certainly had its ups and downs. Jonathan Quick has gotten the majority of the starts this season with a record of 11-10-6 and an SV% of .913, while Cal Peterson has gone 11-6-1 with an SV% of .900.
Red Wings Betting Analysis
The Red Wings have been playing about as expected this season- not the worst team in the league, but nowhere near competitive for the postseason. The team is currently sitting at 20-20-6, just past the halfway point of the season – will they finish strong above the .500 mark?
Or will the team regress and fall down the standings for another bottom ten finish? The team is entirely in control of its own fate moving forward as their young players continue to develop experience in the NHL.
Team captain Dylan Larkin leads the team in scoring with 23 goals and 20 assists in 41 games, well on pace to surpass his previous career-high of 73 points in what has been a solid breakout year. Tyler Bertuzzi is also having a breakout season, racking up 39 points in 38 games and only nine points away from setting a new career-high.
Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider are the future of the franchise, both having excellent rookie seasons with 35 and 29 points, respectively. Alex Nedeljkovic has been the go-to in net with a record of 13-12-5 and an SV% of .910.
Team Updates
The Kings are still missing defenseman Alex Edler on the injured reserve, along with depth forward Sean Walker. Martin Frk, Cristian Wolanin, and Matt Roy are all out due to Covid-19 protocol, while Mikey Anderson remains day to day.
Detroit is still missing Jakub Vrana, Troy Stetcher, Mitchell Stephans, and Carter Rowney to the IR, while backup goaltender Thomas Greiss remains day to day. Vrana was slated to return sometime in February, but his status remains out of the lineup for the foreseeable future.
- LA is 6-1 in their last seven as favorites
- The Kings are 12-5 against the spread against a team with a losing record
- LA is 9-3 against the spread in the Eastern Conference this season
- Detroit is 9-0 against the spread when a Pacific opponent won their last game
- The Red Wings are 2-10 as the underdogs in their last 12
- Detroit is 1-7 against the spread after a win in their last eight games
Kings at Red Wings Betting Preview
Detroit has struggled this season to put together consecutive wins, and it shows. The team is technically below .500 when considering overtime losses, and if the betting stats have anything to say, it’s that Detroit is likely going to lose tonight.
The Kings have much more to play for than Detroit and will likely be bringing an intensity that the Red Wings aren’t going to be ready to match.
Kings vs Red Wings Betting Prediction:
Currently, the moneyline has the Kings favored at -140. LA will likely come away with the win in this one and will be able to overwhelm the Wings’ defense.
Nedeljkovic has been okay this year, but the Wings goalie only stopped 14 of 15 shots – expect LA to generate much more offense than the Ducks were able to on Monday and come away with the win.
How to Bet on Ducks at Red Wings
Taking LA on the moneyline is a safe bet, but the spread is where you’re going to make more cash.
It’s a bit of a riskier bet with the Kings covering -1.5 at +175, but the Kings are more than capable of scoring plenty of goals against the Wings.
The team was able to put up four against Pittsburgh, and the Red Wings’ offense is significantly weaker than Pittsburgh’s. Take LA to cover the spread and walk away with the win tonight.
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