Expert NHL Game Previews, Matchups and Key Insights
The National Hockey League (NHL) has five games on the schedule, with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs squaring off at 7:30 p.m. ET on NHL Network, with the other four games with a puck drop of 9 p.m. ET or later. We'll focus on the later window.
We'll provide single plays and parlay opportunities you could potentially pair with the Monday Night Football clash from the NFL, NBA action and/or NCAA basketball. Good luck with all of your plays! Let's get started.
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NHL Best Bets & Picks: Kings vs Mammoth, Wild vs Kraken – Expert Game Previews
For the latest NHL Odds, including NHL Futures and NHL player props, visit RotoWire's NHL Betting page. For up-to-date NHL player news and NHL Injury Report info, head to RotoWire's NHL Lineups page. You can find more picks at Bookies.com/picks. Here are our NHL Best Bets today, featuring expert NHL picks for an action-packed slate of games.
NHL Previews Tonight Highlight Key Matchups and Insights
Los Angeles Kings 
at Utah Mammoth 
The Kings (13-8-7) and Mammoth (14-13-3) meet at Delta Center in Salt Lake City at 9 p.m. ET.
Los Angeles swept the three-game regular-season series in 2024-25, with the Kings outscoring the Mammoth 12-7, including a 4-2 victory in the only meeting in SLC on April 3. The Over cashed in two of those three games, with the Kings (-135) cashing in road favorites in that win in Utah.
After a 2-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday in the front-end of a back-to-back, the Kings rebounded for a 6-0 victory as moderate favorites (-190) as the Over (5.5) cashed. Darcy Kuemper kicked aside all 23 shots he faced in the win over Chicago, while six different goal scorers lit the lamp. After a scoreless first period, Warren Foegele, Andrei Kuzmenko (PPG) and Brandt Clarke made it 3-0 in the second, while Clarke, Mikey Anderson and Alex Turcotte added goals in the third, as the rout was on.
The Kings are 7-3-3 in the past 13 games, while the Under has a 5-2 advantage in the past seven games, while cashing in seven of the past 10 outings.
The Mammoth suffered a 2-0 loss on home ice, as backup tendy Vitek Vanecek subbed in the second end of a back-to-back, and he deserved a much better fate. Utah has won two of the past three games, but it is just 2-5-0 across the past seven outings, while suffering two shutout losses. The Under has cashed in two in a row, and three of the past five outings.
Kuemper (9-6-5, 2.24 GAA, .914 save percentage, 2 SO) is projected to go for the Kings, while Karel Vejmelka (12-7-2, 2.64 GAA, .894 save percentage, 1 SO) is expected to get the nod for the Mammoth in the crease.
Let's side with Los Angeles as a surprising underdog, while going low on the total. In addition, RW Adrian Kempe has two goals and four points in the past four games, and he is a strong play to simply record one point.
- Kings ML (+100 at Bet365, BetMGM and Caesars Sportsbooks)
- Under 5.5 Goals (-110 at DraftKings, Fanatics Sportsbooks)
- Adrian Kempe - Over 0.5 Points (-142 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
Minnesota Wild 
at Seattle Kraken 
The Wild (15-9-5) and the Kraken (11-9-6) meet at 10 p.m. ET at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.
Minnesota won two of the three meetings last season, with the Wild posting a 4-3 win in the only visit to Seattle, cashing as slight underdogs (+110) as the Over cashed in two of those three games. The underdogs have won in four of the past five meetings in the series, with the Over going 4-1 in that span.
The Wild were doubled up 4-2 last time out on Saturday in Vancouver, as the luck ran out for Jesper Wallstedt. He had won his past seven straight starts, including four shutouts, and he was 6-0-0 with a 1.14 GAA and .967 SV% in six starts in November. The four goals he allowed on 20 shots against the Canucks were his most since coughing up six goals on Oct. 26 in a 6-5 OTL against the San Jose Sharks.
The Kraken are skidding hard, dropping four in a row in regulation, while going 0-4-1 in the past five outings. Seattle has lost two in a row via shutout, while averaging just 1.8 goals per game (GPG), and coughing up 20 goals in the past four outings, or 5.0 GPG.
Joey Daccord (7-7-4, 2.99 GAA, .891 save percentage, 2 SO) is expected to be in the crease, while Filip Gustavsson (7-8-3, 2.76 GAA, .905 save percentage, 2 SO) is projected to start.
Minnesota is a strong play as moderate favorites, while going high on the total. The Over has been a frequent play in this series lately. And, with the Kraken allowing 13 goals in the past two games and 20 goals in the past four contests, it's unlikely Seattle just automatically turns things around.
- Wild ML (-130 at Fanatics Sportsbook)
- Over 5.5 Goals (-102 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
Don't make any bets on your favorite sports betting apps without first consulting the latest NHL odds.
Parlay Strategies and Totals Picks to Boost NHL Betting Slates
5-Leg NHL Super Parlay (+1459 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Kings ML at Mammoth, Under 5.5 and Adrian Kempe Over 0.5 Points - SGP (+380)
- Wild at Kraken and Over 5.5 - SGP (+224)
3-Leg NHL Same-Game Parlay (+380 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Kings ML (-106) at Mammoth
- Under 5.5 (-120) - Kings at Mammoth
- Adrian Kempe - Over 0.5 Points (-142)
2-Leg NHL Totals Parlay (+263 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Under 5.5 (-120) - Kings at Mammoth
- Over 5.5 (-102) - Wild at Kraken
2-Leg NHL Sides Parlay (+243 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Kings ML (-106) at Mammoth
- Wild ML (-134) at Kraken
