A dozen games into the season and the outlook is bleak for the Kings. Any hopes of the team sneaking into the playoffs fade with each passing loss. The team’s .375 points percentage has them tied for 28th in the league, with only Detroit and Ottawa faring a worse percentage.
Unfortunately for LA, the road ahead doesn’t get any easier, as they’re still missing key roster pieces that allow them to be more competitive on a nightly basis. After a hot start to the year, the team’s second line is still without Blake Lizotte and Andreas Athanasiou. Replacing them with Michael Amadio and Austin Wagner simply isn’t going to cut it.
While Matt Roy recently returned to practice, donning a non-contact jersey, the timetable surrounding his return to the lineup is unclear, as it is with Sean Walker. Replacing those two with any combo of Mark Alt, Kurtis MacDermid, or Olli Maatta is a clear downgrade. All of this to say that the Kings aren’t going to have a bright outlook, especially for fans hoping to make money betting on the team.
As we move forward, we’re going to keep track of our record on Tonge’s Ticket. Our goal is simple: outpace the Kings point percentage. With a record of 9 wins on 21 bets, we’re on pace so far. It would be far too easy to simply bet against the Kings every game, so we’re going to continue offering fun prop bets and a look at trends surrounding the team. We’ll also do our best to not repeat the same bets game in and game out.
With that preamble aside, let’s look at a few smart bets for Thursday’s rematch between the San Jose Sharks and the Los Angeles Kings:
Anze Kopitar to score
The Kings captain has scored in four straight home games versus the San Jose Sharks. With 15 points on the season, Kopitar sits just outside of the top 10 in league-wide scoring. He’s continued to be a bright spot for a team with not a lot going for it right now. We’ll bet the Slovenian superstar stays hot, and we’ll take the +195 odds on him lighting the lamp.
Over 2 second period goals
Both teams have seen more goals occur in the middle period than the first and third. As we’ve noted, the Kings dominate the second, while San Jose struggles mightily. We think all these trends point towards another high-scoring second period on Thursday night.
LA Kings to win after being a goal or more behind
Let’s switch things up and go with a unique bet for our final choice today. Yes, we started this article pointing out that the Kings aren’t a very good team and are missing key contributors. At the same time, San Jose is no world beater themselves. We know the Kings struggle in the first, so it’s common for them to play from behind. We chose this bet because the +600 odds are enticing, especially as the Kings are on home ice.
Looking for more betting picks? Make sure you follow @HockeysBestBets for my daily picks from around the league. You can also follow my personal account at @AndyTonge1 for my insight on the Kings and much more. Good luck and happy betting!