Things are turning ugly again for the Los Angeles Kings. Following a four-game winning streak, the eighth-placed team has gone 1-3 SU including 0-2 SU on its current West Coast trip that ends tonight vs. the West-leading Vancouver Canucks who enter as a -135 home favorite.
Although the Kings will be hungry not wanting to go winless on this road trip, the Canucks have padded the pockets of their first-period backers and there is no reason to get off a trend that has lost just six times over Vancouver’s last 37 games.
I break down the NHL odds and offer my free NHL picks bets for Kings vs. Canucks for Thursday, February 28.
Kings vs Canucks odds
Kings vs Canucks predictions
The Los Angeles Kings are desperate but that seems to be priced in tonight as the Vancouver Canucks are a -140 home favorite which is implying -120 on neutral ice which seems long. The Canucks lead the West in points while also leading the Conference in goal differential at plus-51. That’s a sharp difference from the Kings who are 25th in point percentage since January 1 with a 9-16 SU mark.
I’ve been tailing possibly one of the better trends with the Canucks and their first-period success and today, with the home side being too long on the moneyline, I’m taking them on the first-period moneyline again.
Over Vancouver’s last 37 games, it is 19-6-12 on the 1P ML. Even on the -0.5 puck line, that’s still +10 units at +150 odds — they are +165 today. Thanks to a projected tighter game, I don’t have to take the PL and instead can hit the 1P 2-way ML that is a push on a tie at -135.
This is a prop that has lost just 16% of the time since the start of December. Vancouver’s last first-period loss came 10 games ago. They lead the league in first-period scoring at 73 goals and also pace their competition in first-period goal differential at plus-29. The next closest team is at plus-24.
There is something special about this Canucks in the first period. Whether it’s Jack Adam’s betting favorite Rick Tocchet or not, it’s a trend I’m riding until the breaks fall off. The Kings are averaging fewer than 1.00 goals per first period on the season and that number moves to 0.64 goals since the start of January.
With the lack of offense from the Kings who are missing some pieces, the loss is very protected with the push in play. The -0.5 at +165 is tempting, but the -135 first-period moneyline is right at my buy point.
My best bet: Vancouver first-period moneyline (-135 at SIA)
Kings vs Canucks same-game parlay
Canucks first period -0.5
Kings team total Under 2.5 goals
J.T. Miller anytime goal
Let's continue to ride the hot trend of Vancouver in the first period. The -0.5 has a 33% ROI over the Canucks' last 83 games.
The Kings are struggling to score at even strength. The losses of Arvidsson and Kempe are not helping. Neither is facing Demko.
I don't always add AGS to my SGPs, but J.T. Miller has goals in four of his last five games (six in total), and the combination of him and Brock Boeser has been a big reason for the offensive success of the Canucks.
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Kings vs Canucks moneyline and Over/Under analysis
Vancouver opened at -145 at SIA but that number is getting shorter across the board with some books as short as -150 at the time of writing. The total opened at 6, has hit 6.5 in some places, but currently sits at 6 -115 to the Over.
The Canucks are now two games away from a bad road trip and a season-long four-game losing streak. They returned home and took points from the Bruins but fell in overtime to Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
The Canucks are still the best team in the West in terms of points and goal differential, but if I’m choosing the Nucks on the ML at -145ish, a lot of it will come from how inconsistent the Kings have been.
LA is starting to feel the vibes of a potential ninth-or-worse placing in the West. They currently sit tied for seventh/eighth place and are just five points up on the Flames who they lost to on Tuesday.
LA has lost more offensive pieces as Viktor Arvidsson is out and so is top-liner Adrian Kempe. That has forced the Kings to bring Pierre-Luc Dubois up to the top line which is great news for the Canucks as PLD brings a bottom-six effort every night.
This LA offense was already hurting before the injuries and now is scoring 1.79 5-on-5 goals per game in February which is only better than the Blackhawks.
Vancouver has the offensive edge, as well as one in net. Thatcher Demko is the No.2 betting favorite for the Vezina while Cam Talbot has been inconsistent with a 2-3 SU mark over the last 30 days and a GAA north of 3.00.
LA has a slight edge in special teams but the LA power play is 0-for-5 on the road trip and missing Kempe is a big piece of its success.
The market is moving in favor of the Canucks and I agree. I could be convinced to take Vancouver in regulation at +115, but with their 1P success, I’d rather take them 1P -0.5 at +165 if I'm looking for a plus-money wager.
I have no interest in this total as LA will play tough not wanting to go winless on the road trip but, conversely, is lacking the offensive weapons to run up the score vs. a very good goalie.
Kings vs Canucks betting trend to know
The Vancouver Canucks have hit the 1P Moneyline in 49 of their last 84 games (+35.30 Units / 33% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Kings vs. Canucks.
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Kings vs Canucks game info
| Location: | Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC |
| Date: | Thursday, February 29, 2024 |
| Puck drop: | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | SNP, BSW |
Kings vs Canucks latest injuries
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