NHL Best Bets: Bruins vs. Kings Game Picks

Two teams playing solid hockey are set to collide tonight, with the Boston Bruins visiting the Los Angeles Kings.

All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Boston Bruins (-154) vs. Los Angeles Kings (+128) Total: 6 (O -110, U -110)

The Bruins are coming off an emotional victory in the Winter Classic over the Pittsburgh Penguins, now embarking on a West Coast road trip. Boston enters this matchup with points in each of their last ten games, owning a 7-0-3 record during that span. The Kings have also been playing well, owning a 7-2-1 record over that same sample size. 

These teams already met earlier this season in Boston, which saw the Bruins drop their first home game (in extra time). These teams have different strengths, and although the Bruins have stronger underlying numbers, there’s likely some positive regression coming for Los Angeles. The Bruins are listed as road favorites tonight at -154 on the moneyline, while the Kings are home underdogs at +128. 

Looking at the projected goalie matchup, the visiting Bruins are expected to turn to Linus Ullmark, while the Kings should do the same with Pheonix Copley. The Bruins netminder has been incredible, posting a 21-1-1 record with a .939 save percentage, while Copley has had an excellent start with the Kings at 9-0-1 with a .908 save percentage. 

With both teams playing well, giving a sizable edge one way or the other is difficult. With the Bruins starting a road trip tonight and traveling across the country, there’s likely some value in backing the Kings at home to pull off an upset at +128 on the moneyline. 

Best Bet: Kings moneyline (+128) 

One of the biggest struggles for this Kings team has been keeping pucks out of their net and finding consistent goaltending. They sit 23rd in goals allowed per game but have found some new energy in front of Copley. Over the Kings’ last five games, three have seen six or more total goals scored, while just two of the previous five Bruins games have exceeded that number. The Kings and Bruins played to a 3-2 final earlier this season, ending in a shootout. It’s not hard to envision another low-scoring battle tonight, so there’s likely some value in siding with the under six at -110. 

Best Bet: Under six (-110) 

There might not be a lot of goal scorers on the Kings’ roster, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t talent that warrants targeting. One player underperforming in the goal-scoring department has been Viktor Arvidsson, who’s tallied just ten goals through 37 games. There’s been more to his game than that, which has seen him add five assists over the Kings’ last five games. Even though we’re not expecting this to be a high-scoring affair, there’s value in backing him to record a point at -122. 

Best Prop: Viktor Arvidsson to Record Over 0.5 Points (-122)