NHL Best Bets: Capitals vs. Kings Game Picks

The Los Angeles Kings will try to continue their solid run of play to kick off March as they get set to host the struggling Washington Capitals.

All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

In a year filled with injuries and inconsistencies, the Washington Capitals found themselves as sellers at the trade deadline. They’ve continued to drop out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture. There are still some solid veteran pieces on this team, but they really have not been able to put together a big streak this season, and it appears we’re closing in on the end of a very positive long-term run for the Caps.

On the other hand, the Kings are a very competent team out West and are playing some really strong hockey heading into this contest. 

Entering this matchup, the Caps have won two in a row but are still sitting at 3-7 over their past ten games. The Kings have won three in a row and posted a 7-3 record over that same sample size. 

Looking toward the projected goalie matchup, the visiting Capitals are expected to start Darcy Kuemper, while the Kings should do the same with Joonas Korpisalo. The Capitals netminder has posted a 19-19-4 record, paired with a .910 save percentage, while the newly acquired Korpisalo is sitting at 12-11-3, along with a .913 save percentage. 

Even though the Caps have shown a little bit more of late, they still don’t really inspire any confidence in what they’re bringing to the table on the road tonight. The Kings are in a fight for the Pacific division crown and are really finding their stride of late, meaning we really like the value in targeting their moneyline price tonight at -156. 

Best Bet: Kings moneyline (-156)

Earlier this season, when these teams met, they combined for seven goals in a Capitals 4-3 victory. Goal scoring has certainly come easier for the Kings, while their defensive play should improve with some of the trade deadline additions they made. Over the Capitals’ past five games, they’ve seen seven or more goals scored in three, while the Kings have seen that transpire in two contests. With Washington’s recent offensive surge and the Kings’ solid offense in general, there’s value prevalent in backing the over 6.5 tonight at -104. 

Best Bet: Over 6.5 (-104) 

There’s a lot to like about the overall depth on offense for this Los Angeles Kings team. In a matchup like tonight, though, a player like Adrian Kempe should bolster some solid value. He’s continued to be a serious goal-scoring threat for this Kings squad, leading the team with 29 markers. Kempe has emerged as someone the team counts on regularly to contribute, and he’s the top cog in an offense-by-committee approach. The Swedish forward is listed at +186 to find the twine tonight, and there’s much to like about those odds. 

Best Prop: Adrian Kempe to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+186) 

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