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Andrew Rogers
Golden Knights vs. Kings: Game 3 Prediction, NHL Playoffs Odds
The Vegas Golden Knights did their part in the opening two games of their Western Conference quarter-final series with the Los Angeles Kings – and with the series shifting to California, the Kings know it’s their turn to use home to their advantage beginning with Game 3 on Sunday night. Vegas kicked off its first-ever playoff series with a pair of one-goal wins at T-Mobile Arena and are listed at a whopping -1,000 to prevail in the seven-game set.
Golden Knights vs. Kings Betting Analysis
The Kings have to hope a return to Staples Center will kickstart a moribund offence that produced just one goal in 120 minutes on the Strip. Los Angeles is the favourite in this NHL matchup thanks to wins in four of its previous five home games, combined with Vegas having dropped four of five on the road. But Sundays have been much kinder of late to the Golden Knights (10-1 SU in their last 11 Sunday games) than to the Kings (4-13 in their previous 17).
This game opened with an unfathomably-low total of 4.5, but has since been bet up to 5. Look for bettors to stick with the under, with the teams having gone 0-5-1 O/U in their last six head-to-head encounters. The Kings have gone below the number seven consecutive times at home against teams with winning road records, while the Golden Knights are 3-9 O/U in their last 12 outings following a straight-up victory in their previous game.
Vegas Golden Knights
The Golden Knights have proven they’re content to shift into a more defensive-minded approach now that the playoffs are here; they’ve gone below the total in three of their previous four games with a total of 5.5 or lower, including the first two game of this series. Their immediate playoff success has resulted in a jump in futures odds: The Golden Knights are now +300 to represent the West in the Stanley Cup final, and +450 to win it all – second only to Nashville.
Los Angeles Kings
Oddsmakers believe the Kings are primed for a bounceback after struggling to get anything past Vegas netminder Marc-Andre Fleury in the first two games. Regular-season scoring leader Anze Kopitar, who was held without a point in Sin City, is installed at a whopping -290 to break that goose-egg in Game 3; you’ll get +135 odds on Kopitar scoring a goal – behind only teammate Jeff Carter (+125) – and -135 on the Slovenian star recording an assist.
