The Pittsburgh Penguins and Los Angeles Kings will both be looking to get back in the win column when they square off in their mid-week matchup, live from the Staples Center in sunny Los Angeles on Wednesday night. With the Pens looking to get back in the mix for the top seed in the Eastern Conference and Los Angeles looking to improve on their Western Conference worst record, let’s find out which team is offering the best value against their NHL Odds for the Penguins vs Kings.
Penguins vs Kings 2020 NHL Game Preview & Betting Odds
- When: Wednesday, February 26, 2020 at 10:30 PM ET
- Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
- TV: NBCS
- NHL Odds: LA Kings +158/Pittsburgh -175 / Total: 6
Why Bet On Pittsburgh
The Penguins have lost three straight and five of their last 10 games overall including a humbling 5-3 loss against Washington on Sunday. Patric Hornqvist, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin all lit the lamp, but it wasn’t enough as goalie Matt Murray gave up four goals on 22 shots.
“The top three lines were probably playing a little bit more than they should,” Pittsburgh general manager Jim Rutherford said recently. “(We’re) trying to get their minutes down so that we can come and come hard, shift after shift, with four lines. That’s what we should be able to do after we made those changes.”
Pittsburgh averages 3.2 goals per game (10th) while limiting the opposition to 2.8 goals per game defensively (8th). The Penguins have gone 15-12-2 on the road this season.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 3.3
- Shots: 32
- PP/PK Percentage: 21.14
- Goals: Edmonton Oilers
- Shots: 2.75
- PP/PK Percentage: 30.05
Pittsburgh Penguins NHL Betting Trends
- Penguins are 5-1 in their last 6 games as a road favorite.
- Penguins are 8-2 in their last 10 vs. Pacific.
- Penguins are 7-2 in their last 9 Wednesday games.
- Penguins are 20-7 in their last 27 games as a favorite.
- Penguins are 45-19 in their last 64 vs. Western Conference.
- Penguins are 17-8 in their last 25 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Penguins are 23-11 in their last 34 overall.
- Penguins are 1-4 in their last 5 after allowing 5 goals or more in their previous game.
Why Bet On The LA Kings
The Kings have lost two straight and seven of their last 10 games overall including a 4-2 loss against Edmonton on Sunday.
Anze Kopitar and Josh Archibald scored for the Kings, but it wasn’t enough as goalie Calvin Petersen allowed three goals on 30 shots. Kopitar leads the Kings with 56 points after putting up a goal and eight assists over his last six contests. Los Angeles averages an uninspiring 2.5 goals per game to rank a dismal 30th in scoring while allowing 3.2 goals per game defensively (24th). The Kings have gone 13-13-1 at home this season.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 2.48
- Shots: 33.46
- PP/PK Percentage: 16.48
- Goals: Vegas Golden Knights
- Shots: 3.22
- PP/PK Percentage: 29.44
Los Angeles Kings NHL Betting Trends
- Kings are 30-61 in their last 91 overall.
- Kings are 24-56 in their last 80 games as an underdog.
- Kings are 2-5 in their last 7 games as a home underdog.
- Kings are 8-21 in their last 29 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Kings are 14-42 in their last 56 vs. Eastern Conference.
- Kings are 2-7 in their last 9 Wednesday games.
- Kings are 1-4 in their last 5 vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Kings are 3-14 in their last 17 vs. Metropolitan.
Penguins vs Kings Expert Analysis and Prediction
Pittsburgh might be struggling right now, but this matchup against the lowly Kings should serve as a perfect remedy for their recent ailments. The Penguins are 20-7 in their last 27 games as a favorite and a dominating 45-19 in their last 64 games against teams from the Western Conference. Conversely, Los Angeles is just 2-7 in their last 9 home games, 14-42 in their last 56 games against their Eastern Conference counterparts and 1-4 in their last 5 vs. a team with a winning percentage above .600. Pittsburgh is a near-perfect 4-1 in the last 5 meetings and getting a win in this one should be a relative walk in the park for Sid the Kid and company!
Pick: Pittsburgh 5 LA Kings 2
