The Los Angeles Kings will try for their sixth win in a seven-game span when they take on the Vancouver Canucks for the first time this season.
The Canucks have tried to put a disastrous 0-5-2 start to the 2022-23 campaign behind them, but went a mediocre 2-3 on their recently concluded five-game road trip.
Can they whip up a little home cooking in this spot? Find out in our free NHL picks and predictions for Kings vs. Canucks on Friday, November 18.
Kings vs Canucks best odds
Kings vs Canucks picks and predictions
Both the Kings and the Canucks have suffered from some bad goaltending this season, making the Over a compelling play in this one.
Jonathan Quick appears to be in line for the starting assignment for L.A. this Friday night after backup Cal Petersen got the nod in Wednesday’s 3-1 victory over the Oilers. Quick has lost some of his sharpness over the years, and the 36-year-old veteran is on pace for his worst season since 2018-19 based on GAA (3.09) and save percentage (.895).
Petersen hasn’t been any better this year (3.59 GAA, .878 save percentage), so the Kings will be hard-pressed to keep pucks out of the net, no matter who’s in the crease here. The Canucks are 10th in the NHL in goals per game (3.4), and that figure rises to 3.5 — tied for eighth in the league — when the sample is confined to home games.
The rapid fall of Vancouver netminder Thatcher Demko this season has been mystifying. After seizing the starting job by posting a .915 save percentage and 2.72 GAA over 64 games last year, Demko has come crashing back to Earth by authoring a .874 save percentage and 4.02 GAA through 11 contests.
Spencer Martin has been decent in relief (3.49 GAA, .898 save percentage) but will likely be a spectator here after working Tuesday’s 5-4 triumph over the Sabres.
Head coach Bruce Boudreau has alternated netminders over his team’s last 10 tilts. The Kings are 13th overall in goals per game (3.3) but eighth in the same department on the road (3.5). Several betting trends suggest that the Over is the proper side in Friday’s lone NHL affair.
The Over is 6-1-2 in the Kings’ last nine games after allowing two or fewer goals in their previous game and 7-2-1 in their last 10 road games.
The Canucks have gone 12-3-1 to the Over in their last 16 clashes with divisional foes and 36-16-2 in their last 54 overall.
My best bet: Over 6.5 goals (-103 at Unibet)
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Kings vs Canucks moneyline analysis
The Kings look like the better bet from a value standpoint on Friday night as nominal road favorites. Trevor Moore, who posted a career-high 17 goals in 2021-22, is fresh off a hat trick in Tuesday’s defeat of Edmonton.
The achievement put him in a tie with Kevin Fiala for most goals (four) by any L.A. skater this month. Fiala had a three-game goal-scoring streak snapped when last seen but has 13 points over his last 12 performances.
Not to be overlooked is Viktor Arvidsson, who had an assist on all three of Moore’s goals last Tuesday. His eight points over as many games in November pace the club.
Bo Horvat and Elias Pettersson have given Vancouver plenty of production this month, combining to tally 23 points, but that’s about where things end in terms of reliability. While it’s true that Quinn Hughes, J.T. Miller, and Brock Boeser have totaled 23 points in the same span, they’ve also combined for a +/- rating of -13, so their productivity should be taken with a grain of salt.
The Canucks are not in a great situational spot, as they’re 1-5 in their last six games following a win and 1-6 in their last seven home games following a road trip of seven or more days.
Kings vs Canucks Over/Under analysis
A deeper dive reveals that the Over is an even stronger side than it looks at first glance.
L.A.’s power play checks in just 23rd by percentage (19.5%), but it has cashed in on three of its last eight chances. Furthermore, the Kings make up for their lack of effectiveness with volume, as they accumulate 4.05 man-advantages per game, the second-highest mark in the NHL. This unit should have a field day against Vancouver’s shoddy penalty kill, which ranks dead last with only a 63.8% success rate.
The Canucks rank 12th in power plays per game (3.59), and they often make the most of their chances as they’re cashing at a 29.5% clip. In fact, only Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl of the Oilers have scored more power plays goals (seven apiece) than Horvat, who has six on the season.
This unit was one of the few bright spots on Vancouver’s recent road trip, going 5-for-18 (27.8%) overall, with a 5-for-13 mark (38.5%) over its last three games.
The Kings are a modest 26th in penalty kill (75%), so they’ll need to stay disciplined if they want to win this one.
Kings vs Canucks betting trend to know
The Canucks are 2-9 in their last 11 games against teams with winning records. Find more NHL betting trends for Kings vs Canucks. Find more NHL betting trends for Kings vs Canucks.
Kings vs Canucks game info
| Location: | Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC |
| Date: | Friday, November 18, 2022 |
| Puck drop: | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | Bally Sports West, Sportsnet Pacific |
Kings vs Canucks key injuries
