Colorado Avalanche vs. Los Angeles Kings Prediction, NHL Odds
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Nik Kowalski
It’s a back-to-back spot for the Avs who dropped a 4-3 shootout contest at Anaheim last night. The loss was Colorado’s second in a row, but both came after regulation. Sunday’s the final of a three-game road trip for the Central-leading Avalanche (15-6-2).
The 13-4-3 Kings are in third in the Pacific Division but actually lead the entire Western Conference in points percentage at .725. So, with 20 games played, the Kings come in super rested. Not only have they have been at home since Saturday last week, but Colorado’s played two games on the road since L.A. took the ice the last time.
Puck drop at Crypto.com Arena begins at 8 p.m. EST with the Kings a slight moneyline favourite at home, currently sitting at -126 to win win while the over-under’s at 6.5 on the NHL odds.
Avalanche vs. Kings NHL Betting Odds
Despite having the best points percentage in the West, L.A. enters Sunday having gone just .500 in 11 home contests this season (the Kings are 9-0 away from home). Colorado has won their last six trips to L.A. The over is on a five-game hit streak head-to-head between Colorado and L.A and they are both top-five scoring teams this season.
The Kings now rank atop the NHL with 3.85 goals per game while Colorado is fourth with 3.7. But in six of L.A.’s last seven contests overall, the under has hit. That’s because the Kings have allowed more than one goal in just two of their last six games, and no more than two goals in any of those six games.
Colorado Avalanche
A hot start for Colorado ended up as a blown lead as defenceman Bowen Byram (x2) and Devon Toews got the Avs out to a 3-1 lead after 20 minutes, but they failed to score again after. The bigger issue for the Avs lies with another defenceman, Cale Makar. The All-Star blue liner missed the final minutes of regulation plus all of overtime and the shootout last night. Head coach Jared Bednar told reporters Makar was dealing with quote — unquote “something.”
Makar’s 27 assists leads the entire NHL, so if he can’t go Sunday it’s not just a loss on the defensive side. And as mentioned it’s a tough spot for Colorado who travelled overnight to L.A. Backup Ivan Prosvetov got the start in net last night, lining up Alexandar Georgiev to get the nod for this big tilt against the Kings.
Los Angeles Kings
The Kings now lead the league in scoring, but what they do on the other side of the ice is just as important. Allowing 2.35 goals per game, the Kings are second to just Vegas in the goals-against department.
The Kings only allow 27.1 shots a game (second in the NHL) but the resurgence of 36-year-old Cam Talbot has a lot to do with the stellar defensive numbers too. Talbot’s on pace for one of his best seasons ever, already sitting at 10-4-1 with a .928 save percentage in his first year in L.A.
Up front, the Kings come at you in waves. Adrian Kempe, Kevin Fiala, Anze Kopitar, and Trevor Moore are all at or right around the point-a-game mark and 2020 second overall pick Quinton Bayfield has finally arrived with 16 points in 20 games this season.
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