A couple of teams that haven’t lived up to expectations this year, the Ottawa Senators and the Los Angeles Kings face off at the Staples Center. Fox Sports West will broadcast this cross-continent matchup, which gets going at 10:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 10.
Ottawa Senators vs. Los Angeles Kings Odds
Ottawa (+175) is playing the role of underdog to Los Angeles (-210), and the Over/Under (O/U) has been set at an even 6 goals. The odds for betting the total stand at -120 for the under and +100 for the over.
The Kings are 17-27 straight-up (SU) and have punished moneyline bettors to the tune of -9.7 units so far. That early-season winning percentage is a regression from the 45-37 record that the team managed during last year’s regular season campaign. 26 of the team’s 44 matches have gone under the total, while 17 have gone over and just one has pushed. The team is 10-13 SU at home this season.
Los Angeles has converted on just 14.9 percent of its power play chances this season, a figure that puts the team in the bottom-5 overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 30th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 73.8 percent of all penalties.
Los Angeles, as a collective unit, has been penalized just 3.3 times per game overall this season, 3.8 per game over its past five games total, and 3.4 per game over its last five at home. The team has been forced to kill penalties for just 6.2 minutes per game over its last 10 outings, in total.
Averaging 26.1 saves per game with a .902 save percentage, Jonathan Quick (seven wins, 12 losses, and two OT losses) has been the primary option in goal for the Kings this season. If head coach Willie Desjardins chooses to give him the evening off, however, the team could turn to Jack Campbell (5-10-10 record, .930 save percentage, 2.21 goals against average).
Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown will both be focal points for the Kings. Kopitar (29 points) is up to 11 goals and 18 assists and has recorded multiple points on four different occasions this year. Brown has 11 goals and 14 assists to his name and has notched at least one point in 18 games.
In the other locker room, Ottawa is 16-28 straight up (SU) and has lost 5.7 units for moneyline bettors thus far. Through 44 regular season outings, 29 of its games have gone over the total, while 11 have gone under the total and just three have pushed. As a road team , Ottawa is 5-15 SU.
Ottawa has converted on 21.4 percent of its power play chances this season, a mark that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 29th overall and it’s successfully killed off 74.4 percent of all opponent power plays.
Ottawa’s players have been called for penalties 3.8 times per game this season, and 4.6 per game over their last five on the road. The team has been forced to kill penalties just 8.4 minutes per game over their last five outings.
Craig Anderson (.905 save percentage and 3.58 goals against average) has been the primary option in goal for Ottawa. Anderson is averaging 32.0 saves per game and has 14 wins, 17 losses, and three OT losses to his credit.
Mark Stone (20 goals, 28 assists) will pace the offensive counter for the visiting Senators.
Ottawa Senators vs. Los Angeles Kings Free Picks
Free Pick: SU Winner – Senators, O/U – Under
Betting Notes
- The total has gone under in four of Los Angeles’ last five outings.
- Penalties and power plays could have a critical role in the outcome of this matchup. The Senators are 9-11 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 12-16 in games where they serve fewer than 10 total penalty minutes. The Kings are 7-10 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 13-20 in games where they’re in the box for less than 10 minutes.
- Los Angeles is ranked 31st in the league this season with 4.6 takeaways per game. That figure has trended upward lately, as it has averaged 6.1 takeaways over its last 10 games and 7.0 takeaways over its last five.
- Ottawa has averaged 6.0 takeaways per game over its last five road games, a drop-off from its season average of 7.3 takeaways per game (ranked 17th in the league).
