Los Angeles Kings vs Chicago Blackhawks Prediction: Best Bet for Tuesday
Chicago scores 2.18 goals per game, allows 3.91, and converts on the power play at 8.3 percent, numbers that usually end the argument by themselves. Los Angeles complicates it by playing at Madison Square Garden on Monday night and landing in Chicago on Tuesday, dragging a thin offense onto the second night of a back-to-back.
The Matchup
Los Angeles is not a good team right now, and this game is still set up for the Kings. They are 2-5-2, scoring 2.33 goals per game and allowing 3.56, with an offense that runs through Artemi Panarin, who has 6 goals and 9 points, Adrian Kempe at 8 points, and defenseman Brandt Clarke at 7.
The Kings beat Washington 5-2 and the Islanders in overtime last week, then lost 3-1 to New Jersey on Saturday, a fair picture of a team that can win a game and cannot stack them. The goaltending choice matters. Darcy Kuemper is at 3.55 and .890 in six starts, while Anton Forsberg has allowed 2.48 per game in three, and on the second night of a back-to-back the Kings may need the fresher option.
Chicago's numbers are worse in every direction. The Blackhawks are 3-8-0, scoring 2.18 goals per game and allowing 3.91, the worst defensive mark on Tuesday's slate. Patrick Kane leads Chicago with 7 points, all but one of them assists, Anton Frondell has 6 points, and Teuvo Teravainen has 5.
That is the whole offense. Chicago has lost its last three games, to Dallas, Montreal and Florida, scoring three goals across the three. Spencer Knight is 3-6 with a 3.48 goals-against average, and backup Arvid Soderblom sits at 4.58, so there is no crease rescue available either.
Key Factors
Special teams in this game are two bad units colliding, and the collision favors Los Angeles. Chicago's power play converts at 8.3 percent, the weakest on the slate, and it has failed against good kills and bad ones alike.
Los Angeles kills at 65.5 percent, which would normally be an invitation, but a power play this broken does not suddenly heal against anyone. At the other end, the Kings' 14.8 percent power play meets a 76.5 percent Chicago kill, a lesser mismatch, but Los Angeles does not need power-play goals if Chicago keeps allowing nearly four a night at even strength.
Availability trims Los Angeles more than Chicago. Kevin Fiala is on injured reserve with a lower-leg injury, Alex Turcotte is on injured reserve, and Mats Zuccarello is on injured reserve with an upper-body injury, so the Kings' thin offense is thinner. Chicago's one question is Bowen Byram, who is day to day with an upper-body injury on the blue line. Keep an eye on whether Byram plays before placing a bet.
The counterpoint is the schedule, and it is a real one. Los Angeles plays at Madison Square Garden on Monday night, then travels and plays again Tuesday, while Chicago rests at home. A tired, low-scoring road team is exactly the profile that loses these games, and Chicago is 3-4-0 at home against 0-4-0 on the road. The Kings have to survive the first period and let Chicago's finishing problem do the rest.
Chicago has scored three goals in three games, its power play scores on almost nobody, and its defense allows nearly four a night. The back-to-back is the risk, and it is the only risk. Take the Los Angeles Kings moneyline at -122.
Game information
| DATE | Tuesday (10/27) |
|---|---|
| START TIME | 7:00 PM CT |
| HOW TO WATCH | NHL |
| VENUE | United Center |
| TOTAL | 5.5 |
| MONEYLINE | Los Angeles Kings ML |
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