- The LA Kings and Boston Bruins face off on Saturday afternoon
- The latest NHL odds price the B’s as notable home favorites
- Below, see our Kings vs Bruins prediction, along with player prop picks
The Boston Bruins (32-12-10) will look to snap a three-game losing streak when they host the Los Angeles Kings (16-7-4) on Saturday afternoon. Puck drop is set for 12:30 PM EST at TD Garden, with ABC carrying the broadcast nationally.
Despite the team’s current losing streak, oddsmakers are siding with Jim Montgomery’s Bruins in the Saturday NHL odds. Boston is priced as -150 favorites in Saturday’s NHL odds, meaning t
Looking for a Kings vs Bruins prediction? We’ve got you covered with our Saturday NHL picks, including player props and odds breakdown.
Kings vs Bruins Odds
Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
---|---|---|---|
Los Angeles Kings | +1.5 (-205) | +125 | O 5.5 (-118) |
Boston Bruins | -1.5 (+168) | -150 | U 5.5 (-104) |
In the Saturday NHL odds, the Boston Bruins are -150 moneyline favorites, giving them an implied probability of 60% to end their losing streak.
![Promo Logo](https://cdn.sportsbettingdime.com/app/uploads/media/3/fanduel-130sq.png)
Odds as of February 16th, 2024 at FanDuel Sportsbook. Sign up to wager on the NHL using the bonus for FanDuel.
Kings vs Bruins History
Although they are in separate conferences, the Kings and Bruins are no strangers to one another. The two clubs have met five times since the start of 2022, with Boston prevailing in three of those games. LA’s two victories, both in 2022, came past regulation.
Date | Home-Away | ML | PL | O/U |
---|---|---|---|---|
10/21/2023 | LA 2 – BOS 4 | BOS -103 | BOS / -1.5 +235 | Over 5.5 |
01/05/2023 | LA 2 – BOS 5 | BOS -145 | BOS / -1.5 +169 | Over 6 |
12/15/2022 | BOS 2 – LA 3 SO | LA +210 | LA / +1.5 -123 | Under 6 |
03/07/2022 | BOS 2 – LA 3 OT | LA +171 | LA / +1.5 -148 | Under 5.5 |
02/28/2022 | LA 0 – BOS 7 | BOS -120 | BOS / -1.5 +204 | Over 5.5 |
The only meeting between Los Angeles and Boston so far this season came on October 21st, when Brad Marchand’s three points propelled the Bruins to a 4-2 victory on the road. David Pastrnak also had three points in the game, while Jeremy Swayman stopped 32 of 34 shots in the crease.
In terms of Bruins vs Kings betting trends, the key one to note is that the road team has won seven straight games in this rivalry. That would point to the Kings being an enticing plus-money wager on the moneyline in the NHL odds.
Kings Gaining Momentum
The LA Kings enter Saturday’s game winners of three of their last four outings. They’re coming off a tight, low-scoring victory over the Devils on Thursday in which netminder David Rittich stopped 26 of 27 shots for a 2-1 victory.
LA picked up another road victory Thursday, which has been an impressive trend for this group. The Kings are 16-7-4 away from their home arena, which is among the best road records in the NHL. They’ve beaten the Bruins in each of the last three meetings at TD Garden.
LA has three players who have hit the 40-point mark this season in Adrian Kempe (17 goals), Anze Kopitar (16 goals), and Kevin Fiala (13 goals). Youngster Quinton Byfield, meanwhile, is enjoying a breakout season with 17 goals and 39 points through 49 contests.
Ultimately, while the Kings have talented offensive weapons, it’s their defense that has been driving their success this season. LA is only allowing 2.65 goals per game, which is fifth-best in the NHL. They also have the league’s most efficient penalty kill at 87%.
LA’s starting goalie for Saturday hasn’t been announced, but you can expect the team to give the nod to Cam Talbot. The journeyman is 14-13-5 this season with a .909 save percentage and 2.63 GAA.
Bruins Aim to End Skid
While the Kings are coming into this game with momentum, the Bruins are trending in the opposite direction right now. Boston’s losing streak was extended to three games with a 4-1 loss to Seattle on Thursday. While not the result Boston wanted, it marked the second straight game the team put up 35+ shots on goal.
Boston is amid a lengthy homestand in which they’ve won just one of five games at TD Garden. This isn’t typical for a team that usually feeds off their home crowd and dominates at home. Even with this recent skid, they are still 17-7-4 at TD Garden on the season.
“We had plenty of opportunities to score, we either didn’t capitalize or [Daccord] was there.”
David Pastrnak on the Bruins 4-1 loss to the Kraken.#NHLBruins | https://t.co/1riFRo7BIX pic.twitter.com/BUE34IKXNZ
— NESN (@NESN) February 16, 2024
The Bruins are led by Hart Trophy odds contender David Pastrnak, who has exploded for 34 goals and 78 points through 54 contests. His 271 shots on goal are more than double any other player on the team. Boston is averaging 3.31 goals per game, which is 10th best in the NHL.
Much like Los Angeles, Boston’s biggest strength has been its defense. The Bruins are allowing only 2.59 goals against per game, which ranks fourth in the NHL. Boston’s defensive success is primarily due to the stellar goaltending tandem of Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman.
It hasn’t been confirmed which goalie is suiting up for Boston against the Kings, although it’s likely Ullmark will get the nod with Swayman playing Thursday against Seattle. Ullmark is 16-6-3 with a .917 save percentage and 2.64 GAA this season.
Bruins vs Kings Player Props
In the NHL Player props market for Saturday, we’ll be looking to target Brad Marchand for an anytime goal. He’s scored 16 goals in 21 career games against the Kings, which is his best goals-per-game rate against any team.
Marchand acknowledges the crowd for #Marchy1000 pic.twitter.com/7i04EccTop
— Marina Maher (@marinakmaher) February 14, 2024
On the Kings’ side, we’ll be looking to hit the “over” on the saves prop for Cam Talbot. Even though Boston has lost their past three home games against the Kings, they’ve averaged 35 shots on goal in those games, and are peppering opposing netminders right now.
NHL Player Prop Picks:
- Brad Marchand AGS
- Cam Talbot Over Saves
Kings vs Bruins Prediction
Will the Bruins be able to end their losing skid against the LA Kings? It’s hard to envision the B’s dropping yet another game at TD Garden, but LA is an intriguing road underdog in this spot. Before making a Bruins vs Kings prediction, check out these betting trends:
- Bruins are 24-6 in their last 30 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Kings are 0-7 in their last 7 vs. Atlantic.
- Under is 7-0 in Bruins’ last 7 home games.
Since the calendar flipped over to February, the Kings have had the fourth-best CF% in the NHL at 55.34%. The Bruins aren’t far behind at 52.09% in that same span. Ultimately, the best way to play this game is going to be the game total.
Each of the last two meetings in Boston went under the total, and both goalies are capable of stealing the show on Saturday. Talbot, in particular, has really impressed with a .916 save percentage and 2.77 GAA in 13 career games vs the B’s. We are anticipating a close game, so feel free to throw in LAK +1.5 in your same-game parlay.
Saturday NHL Picks:
- Under 6 (-118)
- LAK +1.5 (-205)
-
DRAFTKINGS SPORTSBOOK
NO SWEAT FIRST BET UP TO $1,000!
-
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK
BET $5 & GET $150 IF YOUR BET WINS!
-
CAESARS SPORTSBOOK
GET UP TO $1,000 BACK – ON CAESARS!
-
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK
BET $5 & GET $150 IN BONUS BETS INSTANTLY!
The post Kings vs Bruins Prediction, Odds & Player Prop Picks (Feb. 17) appeared first on Sports Betting Dime.