Wednesday is the ultimate opportunity for NHL fans, with a loaded slate of thrilling matchups that fans eagerly anticipate. The game that sticks out is a matchup between two slumping teams looking for a win to get back on track in the Montreal Canadiens versus the LA Kings. For bettors, this matchup provides a chance to capitalize on some of our recent strong trends, like our 30-24 record on our last 54 picks and our 15-8 record on our last 23 moneyline picks.
All betting lines are from Bet365 and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.
Montreal Canadiens vs LA Kings Best Bets:
The Habs are coming off a narrow 4-3 victory over the Sharks on Tuesday, where they had to battle to the very end against one of the worst team’s in the league. It wasn’t a great sign for Montreal fans as it was their first win in six games after losing five straight. The Kings have also experienced a losing skid with a 3-7-1 record in their last 11 games. After looking like a contender early on in the season, LA has started to slide and now find themselves with a 27-17-6 record and just one point ahead of the aggressive Calgary Flames, who occupy the second wild card spot.
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Both teams in this matchup need a win and will work hard to get it with the Kings entering with the slight advantage of the game being on home ice. LA is 15-3-1 at home this season with wins in 10 of their last 11 games at Crypto.com Arena. This will certainly be a challenge for a Habs team that is 12-13-1 on the road this season but they may be able to keep it closer than people expect. Montreal has been a solid betting team all season long with a 30-23 record against the spread this season and a 14-12 record on the road.
The Kings have beat the Habs in seven straight matchups, including a 4-1 victory earlier this season. Montreal will be hungry for a win in this spot and I expect them to bring the offence as it’s expected that Darcy Kuemper will get the crease for the Kings. The 34-year-old netminder has a stellar 2.16 goals against average this season but has allowed three or more goals in three of his last four career starts against the Canadiens.
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Despite the rough skid, Habs captain Nick Suzuki has continued to produce with nine points in his last ten games and recorded a point in their loss to the Kings earlier this season. He should help lift the Habs offence in a big way and surprise a lot of the public, expecting Montreal to lay an egg in this game. The public is all over the Kings as they garner 86 per cent of the moneyline bets. I like the hungry underdog in this spot as everyone will be doubting the Habs when they will be looking to carry over momentum and build off their Tuesday win with a solid effort that should help them at minimum cover the puck line.
