Kings vs. Golden Knights Odds
| Kings Odds | +110 |
| Golden Knights Odds | -135 |
| Over / Under | 6 -115 / -105 |
A spicy Pacific Division rivalry resumes as part of the NHL's three-game slate on Wednesda when the Los Angeles Kings look to put a bow on a perfect four-game road trip as they visit Sin City to take on the Vegas Golden Knights.
Last week, the Kings outscored their opponents by a margin of 12-3 as they collected wins in Toronto, Ottawa and Philadelphia.
Perhaps the only question now is whether they've succumbed to a bout of the Vegas Flu as they enjoyed a three-day break between games.
As for the Golden Knights, their Fortress is as intimidating as ever, where they're 7-0-1 this season. But after they crushed another rival, the Colorado Avalanche, by a 7-0 score last Saturday, Vegas sputtered in the third period in Anaheim on Sunday and suffered its first regulation loss of the season.
There isn't much to choose between these two Western Conference heavyweights.
Read on for betting advice for this second Kings vs. Golden Knights meeting of the year.
Los Angeles Kings
Sitting third in the Pacific Division, the Kings are actually the hotter of the two sides coming into Wednesday’s contest.
They’re 7-2-2 for the season and 5-0-1 over their last 10 games. They’re also well-rested; their last outing was a 5-0 shutout of the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
And while the Kings chose to economize on their goaltending this season, Cam Talbot has delivered in a big way. Earning just $1 million with another million available in performance bonuses, the 36-year-old is 6-2-1 with a career-high .923 save percentage and 6.6 goals saved above expected.
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The Kings are heading into a back-to-back set, also hosting Pittsburgh on Thursday. Pheonix Copley should get one game, but Todd McLellan will likely lean on his starter against an important division rival in Vegas.
The Kings have a reputation for playing a structured defensive game. They boast a league-leading expected goals share of 57.67% at 5-on-5, and they are giving up the third-fewest shots against at 27.4.
Their offense has been clicking, and even without injured Viktor Arvidsson, LA ranks second in the NHL with an average of 4.27 goals per game.
Balanced scoring makes them a tough team to stop; five players are already into double digits in points, and nine have at least three goals.
It's surprising to see that they're producing all that offense with only a so-so power play. It's tied for 17th, at 18.4%, but with goals in each of the last three games.
Vegas Golden Knights
It's an understatement to say that there has been no Stanley Cup hangover for the Knights.
The champs stormed out to a league-best 11-0-1 start before allowing four third-period goals to the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday, and they suffered their first regulation loss of the year while playing their third game in four nights.
Like Los Angeles, Vegas also relies on balanced scoring to create matchup problems for opponents. The Golden Knights also have five players in double-digit points, and nine with three goals or more.
They're fifth in offense (3.77 goals per game), a stingy fourth on defense (2.15 goals against per game) and they're strong on both the power play and the penalty kill. But their overall 5-on-5 possession game is not as stifling as the Kings'. Vegas ranks 25th in 5-on-5 expected goals share at 46.87%.
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Vegas's success has come despite some significant injuries, especially on the back end. Zach Whitecloud and Nic Hague have both missed time, and while Alec Martinez was also absent for Sunday's game in Anaheim, he is expected back in the lineup on Wednesday.
In net, the Golden Knights have been alternating starts between Adin Hill and Logan Thompson, and both have been solid. If the pattern continues, it'll be Hill's turn on Wednesday — though Thompson got the win in LA on Oct. 28.
Much like with the Boston Bruins, Vegas should be fine between the pipes, no matter which stopper gets the nod.
Kings vs. Golden Knights
Betting Pick & Prediction
These two teams don't like each other, and their physical play shows it. Over the last couple of seasons, there hasn't been much to choose between them; they split their four-game season series in 2022-23, and Vegas eked out a 2-1-1 edge in 2021-22.
They've also played once this year. On Oct. 28 in LA, the Kings jumped out to a 2-0 lead before the Golden Knights replied with three goals.
Then, Drew Doughty forced overtime by scoring with the extra attacker on the ice and 1:03 left to play in regulation. Nothing was decided at 3-on-3, then Jack Eichel scored the winner for Vegas in the shootout.
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A margin of victory doesn't get much narrower, and Wednesday's outcome should also be, basically, a coin flip.
With the oddsmakers giving Vegas an implied probability of winning of over 58% as the markets opened on Tuesday, that means the value lies on the better-rested visitors, who have been playing terrific hockey of late and could put themselves in position to have a bounce or two go their way.
As long as you don't think they'll have been bitten by the Vegas Flu over the past couple of days, consider the Kings at plus money to hand the Golden Knights their first home loss of the year.
Pick: Kings (+110 at FanDuel) | Play to: +105
