Both the Los Angeles Kings and Vegas Golden Knights are having to make do with less, as the two teams are decimated with injuries. They are still battling for playoff spots and will meet Saturday afternoon in Las Vegas.
The Kings and Golden Knights each have nine players on the shelf, but they have been stringing together victories and both won their most recent game, despite missing key players.
Who will win this battle of Western Conference top teams? Find out in our free NHL betting picks and predictions for Kings vs. Golden Knights.
Kings vs Golden Knights odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The Vegas Golden Knights opened as road moneyline favorites at -145, while the Los Angeles Kings were at +125, but the Golden Knights went to -135 and the Kings to +115 as of Saturday morning. The total has not moved from its opening line of 6.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until puck drop and be sure to check out the full NHL odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Kings vs Golden Knights predictions
- Prediction: Golden Knights ML (-135)
- Prediction: Over 6 (-110)
- Best bet: Karlsson anytime goal (+300)
Predictions made on 3/19/2022 at 8:45 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Kings vs Golden Knights game info
• Location: T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, NV
• Date: Saturday, March 19, 2022
• Puck drop: 4:00 p.m. ET
• TV: SportsNet Rocky Mountain, Bally Sports West
Kings vs Golden Knights betting preview
Key injuries
Kings: Alex Elder D (Out), Sean Walker D (Out), Drew Doughty D (out), Mikey Anderson D (Out), Matt Roy D (Questionable), Tobias Bjornfot D (Questionable), Dustin Brown F (Out), Andreas Athanasiou F (Out), Viktor Arvidsson F, (Out), Brendan Lemieux F (Out).
Golden Knights: Jack Eichel C (Out), Nicolas Hague D (Questionable), Max Pacioretty F (Out), Reilly Smith F (Out), Robin Lehner G (Out), Alex Martinez D (Out), Brandon McNabb D (Out), Mark Stone F (Out), Ben Hutton D (Out).
Find our latest NHL injury reports.
Kings vs Golden Knights head-to-head record
Kings: 2-3 SU, 17 goals for.
Golden Knights: 3-2 SU, 21 goals for.
Betting trend to know
In the last six times the Kings and Golden Knights have met, the teams have combined to score six or more goals. Find more NHL betting trends for Kings vs. Golden Knights.
Kings vs Golden Knights picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Moneyline analysis
The Kings and the Golden Knights are dealing with injuries to multiple key players and both have struggled the last month. The Kings have gone 5-5 in their last 10 games, while the Golden Knights are 4-6.
The teams, however, are still in the playoff picture. The Kings are firmly in second place in the Pacific Division, four points clear of third-place Edmonton Oilers.
What has kept Los Angeles in a lot of games has been the defense, surprising since all of their opening day starters on the blueline are out of action. The team has still produced a 2.71 goals against average, seventh in the NHL. Goalie Cal Petersen is 14th in GAA with 2.60, while Jonathan Quick is 18th at 2.70.
The problem is the offense. There is not one player on the Kings that is in the Top 50 in points. Their leading scorer is second-line center Adrian Kempe, who has 26 goals, 24th in the league. The team is averaging 2.79 goals a game, 23rd in the league.
The Golden Knights are clinging to the final wildcard spot in the Western Conference. They are just one point better than the Dallas Stars and need this game to prevent from falling out of the playoff picture.
They put together one of their best games of the season on Thursday, defeating the Eastern Conference’s top team, the Florida Panthers, 5-3. The victory came at a price, however, as first-line center Jack Eichel left in the second period after blocking a shot with his hand.
Coach Pete DeBoer said Eichel is out for Saturday’s game. He joins forwards Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty, who are on injured reserve.
Still, the Knights have been scoring goals despite the lack of offensive players. The team is 14th in the NHL in goals per game average at 3.11.
With starter Robin Lehner out with a lower-body injury, goaltending has been problematic. Logan Thompson and Laurent Brossoit have been filling in, but neither has been terribly effective. Brossoit has a GAA of 2.90 and Thompson is at 3.43.
Brossoit should get the start against the Kings and after his solid performance against the Panthers, could have his second consecutive strong game.
Prediction: Golden Knights ML (-135)
Over/Under analysis
When these two teams get together they like to score goals no matter whose building they are playing in.
In the last six games, the two have hit the Over four times, while the other two were pushes.
The Golden Knights have no problem scoring. In their last five games, they have scored three or more goals. In the two that they didn’t, the Over still hit once.
Scoring opportunities should be plentiful since the Kings have six defensemen out for this game. Even though the Kings have a GAA of 2.71, they can definitely give up big goal games. Petersen gave up five goals a week ago to a terrible San Jose Sharks team, and Quick allowed five against the Bruins on Feb. 28.
The Knights are not immune to letting goals in the net, especially since starting goalie Lehner’s absence two weeks ago.
It was hoped that the defense would step up, but they have had injury problems of their own. Nicolas Hague is questionable for Saturday, and Alex Martinez, Brandon McNabb, and Ben Hutton have all been out with injuries.
Prediction: Over 6 (-110)
Best bet
William Karlsson has been on the first line since the injuries to Stone and Pacioretty. He was playing left wing, and has eight goals and 14 assists on the season.
Well below his normal totals, Karlsson did have a goal in the Panthers victory, his first point in seven games. He has been struggling to fit with Eichel, but with the ex-Buffalo Sabre out with a hand injury, Karlsson will slide over to the center position, where he is more comfortable.
He was already playing with right wing Jonathan Marchessault, but now his replacement at left wing is Evegenii Dadonov, who scored two goals in the Florida victory.
That line will face a depleted Kings defense and should thrive. The Golden Knights' first line will be guarded by Kings’ defenseman Olli Maatta and Jordan Spence.
The first line of Los Angeles will have Alex Iafalllo, Anze Kopitar, and Adrian Kempe in an attempt to jump-start a struggling offense. Don’t expect a lot of defense from those three as this game should provide a lot of scoring opportunities.
Karlsson thrives in an open-ice atmosphere and with like-minded linemates should be able to get a goal at some point in this game.
Pick: William Karlsson anytime goal (+300)
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