St. Louis Blues vs. Los Angeles Kings Betting Preview
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
When: Thursday, January 12, 2017, 10:30 PM ET
Line: St. Louis Blues (+125) at Los Angeles Kings (-145); total: 5.0 – view all NHL lines
Betting on the St. Louis Blues (21-15-5)
Denied of any positive momentum yet again are the St. Louis Blues, who lost to the Boston Bruins on Tuesday, 5-3. While the Blues still have a relatively healthy regular-season record to date, they’ve also failed to win consecutive games since December 1.
On one hand, St. Louis’ offense looks to be in good shape still. Brad Marchand scored two goals on Tuesday and has now found the back of the net five times over the last three games. The team’s only All-Star, Vladimir Tarasenko, was held scoreless against Boston, but he has four goals in his three prior outings and should be in line for a better night on Thursday.
On the other hand, the Blues’ defense has been utterly disappointing of late. Jake Allen was pulled out of Tuesday’s contest having allowed three goals to the Bruins on just 11 shots, and his backup in Carter Hutton gave up two more goals and has now surrendered eight goals in his last four outings.
St. Louis has allowed three or more goals in eight of their last 10 games, and neither Allen nor Hutton are showing signs of improvement during these troubled times. Don’t count on the net-minding to pick up in Los Angeles this Thursday night, as the Blues have a dismal 5-10-1 road record this season.
Betting on the Los Angeles Kings (20-17-4)
A 6-4 loss to the Dallas Stars on Monday has gotten the Los Angeles Kings off to a bad start during their current seven-game homestand, as they’ve won just one out of the three games played so far. This is not a good look for the team that’s set to host the All-Star weekend later on in the month, but at least Kings have more going in their favor on offense right now than the Blues.
Drew Doughty scored a goal and got an assist on Monday, giving him four points over the last couple of games. Jeff Carter’s just as hot with seven points (three goals and four assists) over the last five, and standout center Anze Kopitar finally broke his 12-game goal-less streak on Monday as well. What’s peculiar is that the Kings are just 21st in the NHL this season with an average of 2.5 goals per contest despite having so many proven playmakers on the roster.
Then again, they’re also have an identical rate of 2.5 goals allowed per contest, which is good enough for eighth in the league overall. The team has survived the loss of star goalie Jonathan Quick (groin injury) relatively well behind some stellar play from Quick’s backup. Peter Budaj has certainly kept his team afloat in the playoff hunt, sporting a nice .916 save percentage along with a solid 2.13 GAA.
With the road-weary Blues up next and a 12-6-1 record at Staples Center, the Kings should come away with a quality home victory this Thursday, all things considered.
Writer’s Prediction
The Kings (-145) get back on the right track, 3-1.
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