Kings vs Sharks Prediction, Props Picks, Odds & Lineups (Jan. 7)

• The Sharks and Kings are tied at 45 points, holding the two Western Conference wild card spots
• Los Angeles will be without Anze Kopitar, Joel Armia, and Trevor Moore tonight
• See my Sharks vs Kings prediction and player props for Wednesday’s 10:30 PM ET matchup

The San Jose Sharks (21-18-3) visit the Los Angeles Kings (18-14-9) Wednesday night with wild card positioning on the line. Both teams are deadlocked at 45 points in the Western Conference, occupying the top two wild card spots. A win tonight could provide some separation in the standings.

L.A. has won two straight after sweeping a back-to-back against Minnesota over the weekend. The 4-2 win on Monday was impressive considering the Kings lost captain Anze Kopitar and Joel Armia to injuries in the first period. San Jose took down Columbus 5-2 on Tuesday, their fourth win in five games.

Puck drop is 10:30 PM ET from Crypto.com Arena. ESPN+ has the broadcast.

Here’s my Sharks vs Kings prediction, along with the latest odds and player props.

Sharks vs Kings Prediction

Pick: Over 6.0 Goals (-120 at Caesars)

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The Kings are 6-1 in the last seven meetings in Los Angeles, and they’ve already covered the puck line in both games against San Jose this season. That history is difficult to overlook. But tonight’s lineup situation changes things.

L.A. will be without three key forwards—Kopitar (lower body), Armia (lower body), and Trevor Moore (illness). The Kings are dressing just 11 forwards and seven defensemen, with Jacob Moverare getting his first game action since December 2nd.

San Jose has been finding the net lately. Macklin Celebrini extended his point streak to a career-high 11 games against Columbus. Alexander Wennberg had three points in that win. The Sharks rank 16th in goals per game at 3.10, and when they score three or more they’re 19-6-2 this season.

The goaltending matchup also points to goals. Yaroslav Askarov has allowed three or more in 11 straight starts, posting a 3.54 GAA and .869 save percentage during that stretch. His last outing was ugly—pulled against Tampa Bay after allowing three goals on just 10 shots (.700 SV%). He’s been a volume stopper this season, but the results haven’t been there recently.

Darcy Kuemper has been the opposite for L.A., stopping 33 of 35 shots (.943 SV%) in Monday’s win over Minnesota. But even with Kuemper playing well, the Kings are missing too much firepower up front to shut down a Sharks team that’s been scoring.

The over is 8-0-1 in San Jose’s last nine games overall and 4-0 in the Kings’ last four home games. With Askarov struggling and L.A. missing key pieces, I’m expecting goals in this Pacific Division matchup.

Player Prop Picks

Macklin Celebrini Over 3.5 Shots on Goal (+120)

Celebrini has cleared this line in four of his last five games, averaging 4.6 shots during that stretch. He’s third in the NHL in points and has no hesitation pulling the trigger.

I’m not passing up plus-money on a volume shooter in a divisional game.

Andrei Kuzmenko Over 0.5 Points (-104)

Kuzmenko had a goal and an assist in Monday’s 4-2 win over Minnesota. He’s recorded a point in six of his last seven games at Crypto.com Arena, and in five of his last six when the Kings are favorites.

With Kopitar out, Kuzmenko should see more opportunity tonight.

Sharks vs Kings Odds

The Kings are massive -235 moneyline favorites, meaning a $235 bet would return $100 in profit. San Jose comes back at +192, offering $192 profit on a $100 wager if they pull the upset.

The puck line has L.A. at -1.5 (+110). The Kings have covered in both meetings this season, but their depleted roster tonight gives me pause on laying the goals.

Odds as of Jan. 7 at Caesars Sportsbook. Check the available NHL betting apps for tonight’s game.

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Sharks vs Kings Projected Lineups

Sharks Projected Lineup

Forwards
William Eklund – Macklin Celebrini – Igor Chernyshov
Pavol Regenda – Alexander Wennberg – Tyler Toffoli
Jeff Skinner – Ty Dellandrea – Collin Graf
Barclay Goodrow – Zack Ostapchuk – Ryan Reaves

Defense
Dmitry Orlov – Timothy Liljegren
Mario Ferraro – Vincent Iorio
Sam Dickinson – Nick Leddy

Goaltenders
Yaroslav Askarov (15-10-1, 3.46 GAA, .893 SV%)
Alex Nedeljkovic

Injuries: Vincent Desharnais (upper body), Philipp Kurashev (upper body), Will Smith (upper body), John Klingberg (lower body), Shakir Mukhamadullin (upper body)

Kings Projected Lineup

Forwards
Taylor Ward – Alex Laferriere – Adrian Kempe
Warren Foegele – Quinton Byfield – Jeff Malott
Kevin Fiala – Alex Turcotte – Andrei Kuzmenko
Samuel Helenius – Andre Lee

Defense
Mikey Anderson – Drew Doughty
Joel Edmundson – Brandt Clarke
Brian Dumoulin – Cody Ceci
Jacob Moverare

Goaltenders
Darcy Kuemper (12-7-6, 2.32 GAA, .912 SV%)
Anton Forsberg

Injuries: Anze Kopitar (lower body), Joel Armia (lower body), Trevor Moore (illness)

Darcy Kuemper is confirmed to start for L.A. after going wire-to-wire in both wins against Minnesota. He stopped 33 of 35 shots (.943 SV%) in Monday’s victory.

Yaroslav Askarov is expected to start for San Jose after Alex Nedeljkovic made 34 saves against Columbus on Tuesday. Askarov has faced the Kings twice this season, both in San Jose—a 4-3 loss on Oct. 28 and a 4-3 shootout win on Nov. 20.