Predators vs Kings Prediction, Odds & Picks (Feb. 22)

On Thursday, February 22, 2024, the Nashville Predators will face off against the Los Angeles Kings at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. The puck drops at 10:30 PM ET, and fans can catch the action live on ESPN+ and Hulu.

The Kings are currently favored with a moneyline of -150, while the Predators are the underdogs at +125. The total for the game is set at 6 goals according to BetMGM, with some variance across sportsbooks.

Let’s get into our Predators vs. Kings prediction as we break down the odds for Thursday’s game.

Predators vs Kings Odds

In Thursday’s NHL odds, Nashville is priced as +125 underdogs against the Kings. As the -150 moneyline favorite, LA’s implied win probability is 60%.

Odds as of February 22, 2024, at BetMGM Sportsbook. Claim the BetMGM promo code to bet on Predators vs Kings.

Predators vs Kings History

This will be the third meeting between the Predators and Kings this season, with each team winning once so far. LA beat Nashville 4-2 on Jan. 31 despite being severely outshot by the Preds, while Nashville defeated LA 2-1 on Jan. 18 thanks to 33 saves from Juuse Saros.

Recent H2H History

The Preds have typically performed well against the Kings, winning 12 of the past 16 meetings. The Kings are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Nashville.

Preds Betting Trends

The Nashville Predators have had a mixed bag of results in their recent outings, with a record of 4-5-1 in their last ten games. They’ve been scoring an average of 3.04 goals while allowing 3.25 goals against.

Nashville is coming off a 5-3 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night to extend their winning streak to two games. Roman Josi racked up three points to give the Preds their 13th road win in their past 19 away from Bridgestone Arena.

Filip Forsberg has been a standout player for the Predators, with 26 goals and 29 assists for a total of 55 points in 56 games. Defenseman Josi has also been crucial to the team’s play, contributing 11 goals and 41 assists.

In the goalie crease, Thursday’s projected starting goalie is Juuse Saros, who is 21-21-2 with a .902 save percentage and 3.02 GAA this season. As touched on further below, Saros has an excellent track record against LA.

The Predators have managed to secure an upset victory in 14 of the 30 games they’ve played as an underdog, which is a 43.3% success rate. When it comes to the over/under, the Predators have seen four of their last ten games go over the total.

Kings Betting Trends

The Los Angeles Kings have had a strong season so far, with a record of 28-16-10. They have been performing well at home (two straight wins) and have also won four consecutive games overall. LA beat Columbus 5-1 in their last game on Tuesday.

The Kings have a winning record when listed as a moneyline favorite, currently standing at 19-18. Furthermore, the Kings’ games have gone over the total of 6 goals a total of 29 times so far this season.

They have a solid lineup led by Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty, who have been consistent contributors year after year. Youngster Quinton Byfield is breaking out this season with 18 goals, including a “Goal of the Year” contender in his last game.

The Kings do have some injuries of note, including Viktor Arvidsson, who has been ruled out indefinitely with a lower-body injury. Carl Grundstrom and Blake Lizotte also won’t be available for this one.

While the Kings have been defeating opponents from the East of late, they are only 2-7 SU in their last 9 games against an opponent in the Western Conference.

Predators vs Kings Prediction

These two teams have been fairly evenly matched over their respective past 10 games, with the King sporting a 53.6 CF% and the Preds rocking a 50.2 CF%. LA has been more effective with the man advantage lately, notching four power-play goals in their past four games.

Nashville has been one of the best bets as an away underdog this season (12-10 moneyline), and we think there’s some value on them Thursday night in LA. The following betting trends also support the notion that there could be value on the Preds:

• Predators are 6-0 in their last 6 when their opponent scores 5 goals or more in their previous game.
• Kings are 0-5 in their last 5 games as a favorite of -151 to -200.
•  Kings are 1-5 in their last 6 vs. Central.

Nashville outshot Los Angeles 42-24 in the previous meeting, yet came away with a loss. The good news is that the game was an outlier performance for goalie Juuse Saros, who is 5-2-1 vs LA in his career with a .920 save percentage.