Senators vs. Kings NHL Odds, Prediction and Picks: Ottawa Favoured in Near Pick’em
The Senators and Kings are a couple of teams that have struggled with consistency lately. Los Angeles has turned things on at least a little bit since their 0-3-2 start. Ottawa has looked good overall, but have traded wins and losses for seven games.
Ottawa wants to get back in the win column to keep pace in the East, while Los Angeles needs these two points to catch up in the West. This will be a hard-fought game.
Senators vs. Kings NHL Betting Odds
Money Line: Senators (-117), Kings (-103)
Puck Line: Senators -1.5 (+215), Kings +1.5 (-265)
Goal Total: Over 5.5 (-126)/Under 5.5 (+106)
Despite the Senators having a much better record, they are narrow favourites in this one as it is nearly a pick ’em on the money line. It is not too surprising considering the Kings’ better play of late. They enter this game with three wins in their last five games.
The Kings enter this game off of a loss to Chicago which can’t happen for a team that wants to compete. The Senators’ two losses in their last three games were to the Sharks and Golden Knights. Much better teams, but higher margin losses. The volatility of these teams makes this game closer than records would indicate.
Ottawa Senators
There are no alarms going off for the Senators by any means. They are 8-5-0 and their 16 points are T-third in the Eastern Conference. However, it has been a volatile couple of weeks. Over that span, Ottawa has three solid wins, but four bad losses.
Beating the Rangers, Panthers and Islanders by a combined 14-6 is great. But mixing in losses to the Golden Knights, Sharks, Flyers and Blues by a combined 20-6 is not great. If this team can find consistency, they will be dangerous. That has been hard to come by lately, though.
Los Angeles Kings
When the Kings were winless in their first five games of the season, they were struggling to score. In four out of those five games, they only scored one goal. In the five games since, the Kings have scored 14 goals in their three wins and one goal in each of their two losses. With one exception, basically if the Kings score one goal, they lose. But if they surpass one goal, they win.
Tonight the Kings face an opponent that is vulnerable on the defensive side of the puck at the moment. The Senators have allowed 14 goals in their last three games for an average of 4.67 goals allowed per game. Look for the Kings to jump on the Senators and exploit the current weakness.
NHL Prediction: Who Will Win Senators vs. Kings?
In a game between a couple of relatively unpredictable and volatile teams, the Senators appear slightly more reliable. On a small sample size of this young season, the Kings have not instilled much faith in their ability to beat good teams. The Senators are a good team.
It appears to be a slim margin. But Ottawa has been better overall, their scoring ability can make up for leaky goal prevention against a team like the Kings, and they will play with urgency to get back in the win column. Look for a 4-3 Ottawa win.
OTT
LA