Calgary Flames vs Los Angeles Kings Prediction: Best Bet for Saturday
Los Angeles is 2-7-0 at home and Calgary is 2-5-1 on the road, so Saturday's late game matches two teams that have forgotten how to win in the split that matters. The separation is in the crease and in Calgary's road scoring, and neither is kind to the Flames.
The Matchup
Los Angeles is 5-10-2, scoring 2.76 goals per game and allowing 3.53, a -0.76 differential from a team still searching for its season. Artemi Panarin leads the Kings with 8 goals, 11 assists and 19 points.
The home record is the stain: 2-7-0 at crypto.com Arena, with four losses in the last five games overall, including a 5-2 home loss to the Islanders on Thursday. The Kings are priced like a team their record does not support, which makes Saturday less about Los Angeles being good and more about the opponent being worse in the ways that matter on the road.
Calgary is 8-10-1, scoring 2.47 per game and allowing 3.47 for a -1.00 differential, the weaker of the two. Joel Farabee leads the Flames with 7 goals and 17 points, and Matt Coronato has 11 assists. Calgary is 2-5-1 on the road and has split its last five, beating Philadelphia in overtime and San Jose while losing to Anaheim and the Rangers. This is the first meeting of the season, and both teams arrive knowing the other is the most beatable opponent either has seen in weeks.
Key Factors
The crease decides a game between two teams that defend this poorly. Calgary's Dustin Wolf is at 3.75 and .869, the weakest line in the game, with Devin Cooley steadier at 2.63 and .914 behind him. Los Angeles has Darcy Kuemper at 3.58 and .873 and Anton Forsberg at 2.44 and .907, so the Kings hold the better second option and the better numbers overall. When both teams allow three and a half goals a night, the side whose goaltenders have actually stopped pucks this season is the side to trust.
Calgary's power play is its one real weapon, converting 29.5 percent against a Los Angeles kill of just 65.5 percent, while the Kings convert 22.8 percent against a Calgary kill of 81.4 percent. If the Flames live on the power play, they can win this game, and the Kings' discipline matters. Calgary is missing Jonathan Huberdeau, who is out tonight on injured reserve with a hip injury, plus Kevin Bahl, out tonight on injured reserve, and Connor Zary, who is out tonight. Erik Gustafsson is day-to-day for Los Angeles with an undisclosed injury.
Keep an eye on whether Gustafsson plays before placing a bet. Jakub Dvorak is out tonight for the Kings. The Calgary case is the power play and a Kings home record that invites belief in anyone visiting. It fails on the road split, on Wolf's season, and on Panarin being the best player in a game where both defenses give the stars room to work.
Calgary's road season and its goaltending are both worse than anything Los Angeles has shown, and the Kings' best players are the best players in this game. Take the Los Angeles Kings moneyline at -175.
Game Information
| Date | Saturday (11/14) |
|---|---|
| Start Time | 9:00 PM CT |
| How to Watch | NHL |
| Venue | crypto.com Arena |
| Total | 5.5 |
| Moneyline | Los Angeles Kings -175 |
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