Golden Knights vs Kings Prediction, Odds & Projected Lineups – Wednesday Night Hockey

• The Golden Knights are -115 road favorites over the Kings on Wednesday
• LA ranks second in expected goals against at full strength this season
• See my Golden Knights vs Kings prediction, plus the latest odds and projected lineups for Wednesday Night Hockey below

Pacific Division foes clash tonight in LA as the Golden Knights (21-11-12) take on the Kings (19-16-10). Vegas enters play riding a four-game winning streak, and online sportsbooks expect them to keep rolling per the latest NHL odds. The Golden Knights are currently short road favorites, but I’m bypassing that market and zeroing in on the total for my best bet.

Puck drop is set for 7 pm PT / 10 pm ET from the crypto.com Arena, in Los Angeles, CA, with TNT providing the broadcast coverage.

Here is my Golden Knights vs Kings prediction, along with the latest odds and projected lineups for Wednesday Night Hockey.

Golden Knights vs Kings Prediction

I’m taking under 5.5 goals as my favorite Golden Knights vs Kings prediction. Both of these teams are top-11 in goals against, and the advanced metrics suggest they should be even stingier in their own end.

The numbers are also unflattering to both offenses at even strength, and as long as we don’t see a parade to the penalty box, I believe this game will easily fall short of the total.

Let’s start with the home town Kings. Darcy Kuemper is enjoying another fine season, more on him later, while the defense puts up a wall in front of him. LA ranks fourth in scoring chances against in 5-on-5 situations, and have allowed the fifth fewest high danger opportunities.

They do an excellent job of controlling the puck possession battle at even strength, and they limit turnovers. The operation tends to go a little sideways when they get into penalty trouble, but when they do avoid the sin bin they routinely limit opponent production.

Offensively, it’s not pretty. The Kings are the third lowest scoring team in the NHL. They’re bottom-10 in expected goals, so it’s not like they’re getting horribly unlucky, and middle of the pack in scoring chances created. Just four players have tallied double-digit goals so far, and they don’t feature a single skater ranked inside the top-70 in scoring.

VGK vs LA: 5-vs-5 Advanced Stats

That spells trouble against against the Golden Knights, a top-two Stanley Cup odds contender. Vegas enters play ranked just behind LA in expected goals against, and have actually yielded 25 fewer high danger chances at even strength. Akira Schmid has been reliable between the pipes, while the Golden Knights have yielded two goals or less in five of their past eight outings.

Offensively, this a gifted team, but they’ve struggled to produce 5-on-5 and are dealing with injuries. Entering play, Vegas is bottom-eight in expected goals for at even strength, and below average in scoring chances created.

One Golden Knight who’s had no issue producing however is Mark Stone. The captain is currently riding an eight-game point scoring streak, and has points in 89.3 per cent of his outings this season. Only three players have ever produced points in 90 per cent of their games during an entire regular season: Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Connor McDavid.

Stone has been especially lethal on the power play, and giving Vegas the man advantage is the fastest way to ruin our under bet. The Golden Knights boast the fourth most efficient powerplay in the league, converting on 26% of their opportunities.

Golden Knights vs Kings Odds

The Kings however, are one of the least penalized teams in the league. I expect them to play disciplined and stay out of the box, which will keep this game low scoring. The best place to bet under 5.5 goals right now is Ceasars, who are offering the line at +105 odds.

Vegas is currently a -115 moneyline favorite and is laying 1.5 on the goal line, albeit at +215 odds.

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Golden Knights vs Kings Projected Lineups

Another reason to like the under tonight is the Golden Knights injury situation. Sniper William Karlsson remains out, while forwards Brett Howden and Brandon Saad are nursing injuries as well.

Akira Schmid vs Darcy Kuemper Stats

Schmid will start again with Hill sidelined, although last year’s 32-game winner is expected to return soon. Schmid is 4-2-1 over his last seven starts, allowing two goals or less in all four victories.

As for the Kings, they’ll be without veteran Anze Kopitar who’s on IR, while top-seven forward Joel Armia is listed as day-to-day. Kuemper will make his seventh start in the last eight games, and owns a career .927 save percentage against Vegas.