NHL Best Bets: Kings vs. Wild Game Picks

by

Feb 21, 2023

Two teams looking to climb the standings are set to face off tonight, with the Minnesota Wild playing host to the Los Angeles Kings.

All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Los Angeles Kings (+105) vs. Minnesota Wild (-126) Total: 6 (O -110, U -110)

The Kings are six points ahead of the Wild in the Western Conference standings, and both appear to be on a positive trajectory toward making a playoff appearance. This will be the third and final meeting of the regular season between these clubs. The Kings won both games and are looking for the sweep tonight.

Both squads enter this contest on winning streaks, with the Kings winning four straight and the Wild winning a pair. Los Angeles is 7-2-1 over their last ten games, while the Wild are 5-4-1.

Looking toward the projected goalie matchup, the visiting Kings are expected to start Pheonix Copley, while the Wild should do the same with Filip Gustavsson. The Kings netminder has a 17-3-1 record with a .904 save percentage, while Gustavsson is 14-8-2 with a .926 save percentage. 

Despite Gustavsson’s better underlying numbers, Copley has won 17 of his 21 starts for the Kings. LA has also been the more consistent team, winning both games in the season series. We’ll side with the visitors’ plus-money underdog value at +105. 

Best Bet: Kings moneyline (+105) 

Tonight’s total is set at six, with the over and under both priced at -110. The Kings are the more potent offensive team, while the Wild have been better defensively. Over the Kings’ last five games, they’ve seen six or more goals scored in all five, while the Wild have seen that in just one. The Kings have done a solid job controlling games but have struggled to keep pucks out of their net, so we’ll side with the over six at -110. 

Best Bet: Over six (-110) 

There’s not a lot of elite talent in this matchup, but there are some streaking Kings’ players to target. Anze Kopitar leads the Kings with three goals and seven assists over the last five games. With the Kings and Kopitar surging, there’s value in backing him to light the lamp at +280. 

Best Prop: Anze Kopitar to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+280)

Thumbnail photo via Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

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