Back Rangers, Kings to get back on track Friday night
We split our best bets Thursday night. Thankfully, we earned a sweat-free victory on the under in Edmonton, but the Red Wings blanked the Flyers despite getting outshot 30-17.
Let's look at a couple of sides worth backing as we try to end the week on a strong note.
Golden Knights (+135) @ Rangers (-155)
The Rangers aren't playing their best hockey. They've dropped seven of the past 10 games and just laid several eggs throughout a West Coast road trip, capped by blowing a multi-goal lead to a Sharks team that ranks last in wins.
The good news is that New York is back on home ice against a bruised and battered Golden Knights squad. Vegas is missing Jack Eichel, Shea Theodore, and William Karlsson, among others, and the underlying metrics suggest the team is feeling those losses.
Over the past 10 games, the Golden Knights rank 28th in shot suppression and 25th in shot share. They're not generating a lot offensively and are more vulnerable than usual in their own end.
Vegas recently conceded six goals to a Devils squad missing a handful of key players, headlined by superstar center Jack Hughes. The team followed that up by allowing 42 shots in an undeserved win over the Islanders.
The Golden Knights have real problems right now, and the Rangers have it in them to take advantage.
New York's power play is dangerous, and the Artemi Panarin line is one of the league's best and will see more advantageous matchups at home. The Rangers are also playing much better team defense than Vegas.
I expect a much-needed bounce-back effort from the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
Bet: Rangers in regulation (-105)
Kings (+125) @ Avalanche (-145)
The Avalanche are a very good team coming off back-to-back blowout wins. The Kings have lost eight of the past 10 and reached a point where Drew Doughty is ranting to the media about teammates being too focused on juicing their stats.
These teams' opposing paths have led to some value for the Kings.
Sure, Los Angeles is in a healthy rut, but it's nowhere near as bad as things look.
The Kings have a great 1-2-3 punch down the middle and a few fantastic offensive wingers, and they're generally a strong defensive team. They don't allow many shots and can muddy things up against high-powered clubs like the Avalanche. Los Angeles allowed only 21 shots to Colorado in a 4-1 victory in December.
Nathan MacKinnon's remarkable play has also masked some of the Avs' problems. Only the Blues and Blue Jackets have conceded more five-on-five goals over the last 10 games than Colorado.
The Avs sit bottom-10 in expected goals against during that span, so it's not as if those numbers can be pinned solely on goaltending. They're not playing great defense.
I expect the Kings to play with extra purpose after being called out by one of the team's best players.
Los Angeles is desperate to stop the bleeding, and it's going up against a club sitting in a cushy spot in the standings and could have guys with one eye on a lengthy vacation after the game.
Bet: Kings (+125)
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.