NHL: Florida Panthers vs Los Angeles Kings Predictions, Odds and Picks

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16 November 2023

NHL: Florida Panthers vs Los Angeles Kings Predictions, Odds and Picks

Battle of the big boys tonight as the Florida Panthers (10-4-1) take on the Los Angeles Kings (8-3-3). Both teams have started off strong so far this year, so we should have a good match up on our hands.

The Panthers are coming off a win vs the Sharks the other night. They’re on a 5-game winning streak and are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games. Florida has haven’t been the best on the road with a 4-3-1 record, but LA is horrible at home with a 1-3-3 record.

Offense is not something the defending Eastern Conference Champs are short of. They added Evan Rodrigues who has 13 points so far. Their offense core of Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe have been killing it. Reinhart leads the team with 23 points.

They tend to pepper the net, averaging 34 shots on goal per game, 3rd most in the league. Even though they shoot a lot, they don’t shoot well with a shooting percentage of 9.6%. Tied for 23rd worst in the league.

Florida has been without 2 starting defensemen, Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad. Despite the missing pair, their defense has held strong. They rank 5th best in the league for shots on goal allowed with 27.6 and 2nd in penalty minutes per game conceded with 7.7.

Sergi Bobrovsky has looked pretty good coming off a crazy playoff run. He is 8-3-1 on the year so far with a 2.68 GAA and .905 save percentage. Backup Anthony Stolarz has held his own with a 2-1 record, 2.71 GAA and .892 save percentage.

With all that being said, let’s talk about one of the best-looking teams so far this year. The Kings are on a 2-game skid but will look to bounce back even though they haven’t been good at home.

Los Angeles for some reason stinks at home this year. They’re undefeated on the road but can’t seem to get the job done at home, which will play a factor. Florida is coming in hot, and they need to be on their toes.

Guys like Adrian Kempe, Anze Kopitar and Kevin Fiala are leading this team offensively. Newly added Pierre-Luc Dubois has still yet to find himself since coming on board. When he finally clicks, which he eventually will, this offense is going to take another step up.

Crazy to think another step up as they’re already one of the best offenses in the league. They’re averaging 4 goals per game, which is 2nd best in the league and 33.3 shots on goal per game, ranking 6th best in the league.

Goaltender Cam Talbot has had a great start to the season with a record of 7-3-1. He has a 2.21 GAA and .923 save percentage. He has carried the team between the pipes as back up Pheonix Copley has not been very good.

I think we’re going to have a dog fight on our hands. Both teams are extremely skilled so we should see some nice plays as well. Question is, who’s going to pull this one out? Let’s check out the odds and talk about it.

Betting Odds

Puck Line

Florida Panthers +1.5 (-200)
Los Angeles Kings -1.5 (+164)

Moneyline

Florida Panthers +116
Los Angeles Kings -140

Totals

Over 6.5 (-130)
Under 6.5 (+110)

Game Information

Venue: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Date: Thursday, November 16, 2023
Puck Drop: 10:30pm EST
TV: BSFL, BSW

Florida Panthers vs Los Angeles Kings Prediction and Picks

Prediction and Pick: Game Total Over 6.5 (-130) MyBookie

I really can’t figure out which way I lean. We have 2 really good offensive teams playing each other with good goalies in net. I don’t think these goalies have a good night though and we see pucks go in the net.

The Panthers have hit the over in their last 6 games straight. One of the games was against the Hurricanes too who have very stingy defense. Florida managed to put up 5 goals on them.

Los Angeles has only gone of once in their last 5 games, so they’re due for an over. In all 5 over those game, the Kings put up anywhere from 2-4 goals per game. Combine this with the firepower of the Panthers and I think this game goes over.

Player Prop: Aleksander Barkov O2.5 Shots on Goal (-115)

The team's Captain has been on a roll as of late and we’re rolling with it. His offensive production has been up through the roof the last 6 to 7 games.

He has hit this line in his last 3 games straight and his last 6 out of 7 games. In these games, he has not had a game less than 4 shots on goal.

The line being set at 2.5 and almost even money is a gift in my opinion. We are going to see 2 teams who shoot a lot tonight and Barkov will have to be a part of the Panthers shooting if they want to win.