LA Kings (18-9-3) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (13-14-5)
December 17, 2024 7:00 pm EDT
The Line: Pittsburgh Penguins -111 / LA Kings -111; Over/Under: +6
(Get latest betting odds)
The Los Angeles Kings and the Pittsburgh Penguins meet Tuesday in NHL action from the PPG Paints Arena. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Pittsburgh Penguins vs LA Kings Prediction.
Los Angeles Kings Recap
The Los Angeles Kings come into this one looking to add to their 5-1 win over the New York Rangers last time out. After this game, the Kings will take on the Philadelphia Flyers on the road.
Kings Looking To Stay Hot
Anze Kopitar leads the Kings with 34 points including 8 goals and 26 assists while Alex Laferriere has 22 points with 12 goals. Adrian Kempe has 30 points with a team-high 15 goals and 15 assists while Brandt Clarke has 17 points with 14 assists. Kevin Fiala has 18 points with 10 goals and Trevor Moore has 18 points with 6 goals and 12 assists as well for the Kings this season. Darcy Kuemper has gone 7-2-3 so far this season with a 2.27 GAA and a .916 save percentage in goal for the Kings so far this season. David Rittich is 10-7 with a 2.49 GAA and a .890 save percentage while Erik Portillo has a 1.02 GAA and a .966 save percentage as well on the year.
Why the Los Angeles Kings will win
- The Kings have won 10 of their last 11 games against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- The Penguins have lost eight of their last nine games after coming off overtime.
- The Kings have covered the puck line in eight of their last nine games against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- The Penguins have failed to cover the puck line in six of their last seven games as underdogs after coming off overtime.
Pittsburgh Penguins Recap
The Pittsburgh Penguins come into this game looking to bounce back from a 3-2 OT loss to Ottawa last time out. After this game, Pittsburgh will head on the road to take on the Nashville Predators.
Penguins Looking For Consistency
Evgeni Malkin has 25 points with 6 goals and 19 assists while Sidney Crosby has a team-high 30 points of his own with a team-high 8 goals and 22 assists. Rickard Rakell has 22 points with 13 goals and 9 assists and Erik Karlsson has 19 points with 2 goals and 17 assists. Bryan Rust also has 20 points with 12 goals and 8 assists. In goal for the Penguins, Joel Blomqvist has gone 3-5 with a 3.60 GAA and a .904 save percentage while Tristan Jarry has gone 6-4-2 with a 3.59 GAA and an .885 save percentage this season. Alex Nedeljkovic is also 4-5-3 with a 3.37 GAA and a .882 save percentage on the year.
Why the Pittsburgh Penguins will win
- The Penguins have won four of their last five games as home underdogs.
- The Kings have lost four of their last five night games at PPG Paints Arena.
- The underdogs have covered the puck line in 12 of the last 15 games between the Kings and Penguins.
- The Kings have failed to cover the puck line in eight of their last 10 games as road favorites against Metropolitan Division opponents.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs LA Kings Prediction
I’m on the Kings here. The Kings are simply red hot right now, and every time I’m ready to give the Penguins the benefit of the doubt, they fall short of expectations. The Penguins have the talent without a doubt, but they keep finding ways to lose and I think they repeat the same string again here. Give me Los Angeles.
