This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
We got back in the winner's column with last night's big board! We've got one game in the NHL tonight, and it's an excellent opportunity to pad the bankroll (or not break the bank deploying it). Since it's just one game, I'll dive a little deeper into the matchup, and toss out a handful of picks and props to wager on. Let's get into it!
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Kings vs Canucks Betting Preview
A nice Pacific Division tilt for our Friday night coming up in Vancouver as the Kings visit the Canucks. The guys from Los Angeles are as hot as the California sun of late. They come in on a 7-2-1 streak in their last 10 and look to be getting some swagger sitting with the 4th best record in the NHL so far. A fun fact that only a few would pay too much attention to is their faceoff win percentage. The Kings' centermen are winning 53.3% of their draws, which lands them in 6th in that category in the league. Why does this matter? Puck possession. They're puck hogs, and this time of possession often leads to lots of shots on goal and scoring chances. The Kings have generated 421 scoring chances (about 22 per game), which is far above the league average of 372 while putting 615 shots on goal (about 32 per game) which is also far above the league average of 538. These stats are why the Kings have put 64 pucks in the back of the net, placing them at 4th in the NHL in total goals scored. They're dangerous. But they play a high-risk, high-reward style. On the flip side, they've also surrendered the 5th most goals against at 64, so their goal differential is exactly even. They may be dangerous, but they play in a way that allows other teams to be dangerous too.
On paper, the Canucks have been the polar opposite of the Kings this year. They sit tied with the Coyotes, Blue Jackets, and Senators for the 2nd worst record in the league. They are below the league average in just about every major stat category, including all the stats that I mentioned the Kings being above the average in. They lost 7 straight to start the season. It's been bad. They've lost 4 of their last 6, and their wins came against the Senators and the Sabres, with Buffalo only 1 point ahead of them in the standings. Yet, Vegas must know something we don't because the Canucks are slightly favored in this one with -115 odds on the moneyline to pull out the victory on home ice. And I can't seem to figure out why. The Kings aren't on a back-to-back. The Canucks are only 2-3-1 at home, have surrendered the second-most goals in the league at 70, and looked pretty bad against the teams at the top of the standings with 5-2 losses to both the Devils and Bruins in recent memory. But maybe we're just living in a simulation where the casino gaming gods are just ruling the roost and fixing every major sports game in their favor while giving us enough wins to keep us coming back for more. I didn't just say that did I? Not a prophecy. Not an accusation. Sorry to any of the casino gaming gods I may have offended. I'll just get to the bets now, you probably skipped to these anyway…
NHL Picks and Props for Kings-Canucks
- Kings ML -105
- Over 6.5 -105
- Goal In First 10 over 0.5 -165
- Viktor Arvidsson (LAK) over 2.5 shots on goal -120
- Arthur Kaliyev (LAK) over 1.5 shots on goal -150
- Adrian Kempe (LAK) over 0.5 points -140
- Gabriel Vilardi (LAK) anytime goalscorer +190
- Thatcher Demko (VAN) under 29.5 saves -125
- Elias Pettersson (VAN) over 2.5 shots on goal -155
- Bo Horvat (VAN) to record 4+ shots on goal +140
Happy hunting y'all!
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