Los Angeles Kings vs Florida Panthers: NHL Hockey Battle

The luster is coming off the Los Angeles Kings (20-10-7, 47 points) after a streak that has seen bettors drop six straight games, even if the NHL considers their run 0-3-3. The public doesn’t get bonus cash for overtime points. LA will battle the hottest team in the NHL who are tied with the Edmonton Oilers with 8-straight wins.

Not only are the Panthers winning but they haven’t been challenged in their last five games where the average margin of victory has been 3.4 goals. Oddsmakers have made Florida a -130 favorite with a total of 6 (over -125). Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET from the Amerant Bank Arena and can be seen on Bally Sports West and Bally Sports Florida.

Kings Blow 2-Goal Third Period Lead at Tampa

The Los Angeles Kings were 12:37 away from adding to their league bets 13-3-2 road record but the Tampa Bay Lighting had other ideas when Brandon Hagel scored at the 15:39 mark to tie it, setting the stage for Nick Perbix’s overtime winner for the Bolts.

The loss extended the Kings losing streak to six NHL games, falling 10 points behind the Vancouver Canucks in the Pacific Division. The loss pushed Los Angeles down to the sixth spot in our latest power ratings.

Once again the Kings played well in large portions of the match-up but couldn’t put together a full 60. It was the third straight game the Kings have blown a lead and the second straight game where they lost a third-period lead.

The defeat pushed Los Angeles further into the red with 3.62 units lost (21st) in 2023-24. NHL rumors have said that the Kings are actively looking for a goaltender after Pheonix Copley underwent season-ending ACL surgery. Loss Angeles is 17-12 as a favorite but not good enough to turn a profit (-2.10 units). Against the Panthers, Todd McLellan’s team will be an underdog for just the ninth time this NHL season, losing five of the previous eight.

Panthers Hoping To Bring Success Home

They can’t say they have the best road record by percentage but the Florida Panthers (14) have taken over the top spot for most road wins from the Los Angeles Kings (13) after a 4-game sweep including wins against the Vegas Golden Knights and the Colorado Avalanche.

It was the first time since 2017 that Florida swept a road trip of four games or more. We have now moved the Panthers up to fourth in our latest NHL power rankings. It wasn’t just the wins that were impressive but with a 21-7 scoring margin in those four wins, the Cats are now fourth in the NHL in goal differential (+28).

The question now is can they bring that success home, where they’ll be over the next five games, starting with Los Angeles who has been right at home on the road? The Panthers are fifth in home profit with +3.23 units behind a strong 12-5 mark.

We don’t think the Florida NHL scores will continue to be as impressive but it will be hard to bet against them on this home stand. Let’s conclude our Kings vs Panthers preview with our official selection.

Plus Money, Hard To Pass Up

We mentioned it would be hard to go against the Panthers on the home stand but that doesn’t mean there won’t be chances. There is an old hockey betting theory that the first game back from a lengthy road trip is the time to catch a team napping.

The Panthers have come back just once from a road trip of four or more and that was three weeks ago against the St. Louis Blues as a -225 favorite. They lost that match-up 4-1 and were fighting back from multiple goal deficits for most of the game.

In their first meeting in Los Angeles, the Kings were victorious 2-1 as a home dog, holding a two-goal lead until the 11:45 mark of the third period. Cam Talbot finished with 31 saves. We going to put our money behind Kings and the plus money.

No matter the outcome, you can bet each NHL team with have its spot when the NHL playoff brackets are finalized. That does it for our Kings vs Panthers preview, all the best with your wagers.

For NHL betting news, NHL odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

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