Red Wings vs. Kings Prediction

Los Angeles Kings (20-9-5) vs Detroit Red Wings (18-16-4)

Game Info: Thursday, January 4, 2024 at 10:30 pm (Crypto.com Arena)

Betting Odds: Los Angeles Kings -213 / Detroit Red Wings +165 --- Over/Under: 6.5

The Detroit Red Wings and the Los Angeles Kings meet in NHL action from the Crypto.com Arena on Thursday night. Who comes out on top in this interconference showdown? Let’s dive in and find out with our Red Wings vs. Kings Prediction.

Detroit Red Wings Team Preview

The Detroit Red Wings come into this one looking to build on a 5-3 win over San Jose last time out. Alex DeBrincat leads the Red Wings in scoring with 38 points including a team-high 17 goals and 21 assists while Dylan Larkin is right behind with 31 points including 13 goals and 18 assists. Lucas Raymond also has 31 points with 11 goals and 20 assists and Shayne Gostisbehere has 27 points with a team-high 20 assists. Ville Husso has gone 9-5-2 in goal for Detroit this season with a 3.53 GAA and an .893 save percentage while James Reimer is 3-6-2 with a .889 save percentage and 3.41 GAA and Alex Lyon is 6-4 with a 2.53 GAA and a .917 save percentage this season.

Detroit Red Wings Team Facts

• The Red Wings have lost seven of their last eight games at Crypto.com Arena.
• The Red Wings have covered the puck line in each of their last four games as underdogs against opponents on a losing streak.
• The favorites have won the third period in each of the Red Wings' last five games.
• The 'Over 1.5 Goals Period 2' market has hit in each of the Red Wings' last 17 games against Pacific Division opponents.

Los Angeles Kings Team Preview

The Los Angeles Kings come into this one looking to snap a three-game losing skid after a 3-0 loss to Toronto last time out. Anze Kopitar leads the Kings in scoring with 34 points including 14 goals and 20 assists while Kevin Fiala has 31 points with a team-high 23 assists. Adrian Kempe has 33 points with 12 goals and 21 assists while Trevor Moore has 26 points with a team-high 17 goals. Quinton Byfield also has 26 points with 10 goals and 16 assists. Cam Talbot has posted a 14-8-3 mark in goal for the Kings this season with a 2.10 GAA and a .925 save percentage while Pheonix Copley is 4-1-2 with a 3.16 GAA and a .870 save percentage. David Rittich is also 2-0 with a 1.00 GAA and a .951 save percentage as well this season.

Los Angeles Kings Team Facts

• The favorites have won each of the last 10 games between the Red Wings and Kings.
• The Kings have covered the puck line in each of their last six games against the Red Wings following a loss.
• The Kings have won the second period in six of their last seven games against the Red Wings following a loss.
• The 'Over 1.5 Goals Period 1' market has hit in four of the Kings' last five games following a loss.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Los Angeles Kings rank 1st in the league for goals against per game this season (2.35).
• The Los Angeles Kings rank 1st in the league in penalty kill percentage this season (87.04%).
• The Detroit Red Wings rank 5th in the league for goals per game this season (3.58).
• The Detroit Red Wings rank T25th in the league for goals against per game this season (3.45).

Red Wings vs. Kings Prediction

I’m on the Kings here. I get why you’d take a shot on Detroit as the Kings haven’t been playing well enough to justify this kind of price. However, the Kings from a talent perspective are the better team in my eyes, and at home, while they’re not as great as their road form, the Kings still play some decent hockey and they’ve owned the Red Wings, winning 6 straight meetings and 9 of the last 10 meetings. Give me the Kings here.

The pick in this article is the opinion of the writer, not a PickDawgz site consensus.