The LA Kings (4-3-3) and San Jose Sharks (2-5-1) clash in a Pacific Division showdown Tuesday. The opening puck drop at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, will be at 11 p.m. ET (ESPN). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NHL odds around the Kings vs. Sharks odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
2024-25 season series: Tied 2-2
Los Angeles is concluding a 5-game road trip that started a week ago against the Blues in St. Louis. The Kings are 3-0-1 on this voyage, and that includes a 3-1 triumph (LA -157, Over 6) at the Chicago Blackhawks Sunday. Prior to that win, 4 straight LA games had gone past 60 minutes. For the season, the Kings have played an NHL-high 6 games that have gone past regulation.
San Jose’s most recent game was also Sunday. The +163 Sharks won a 4-3 (Over 6.5) overtime affair at the Minnesota Wild. That game in Minneapolis closed out a 2-2-0 road trip. San Jose’s Thursday win at the New York Rangers marked the Sharks’ first victory of the season after 6 straight losses (0-4-2).
Kings at Sharks odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 11:38 p.m. ET.
Moneyline (ML): Kings -200 (bet $200 to win $100) | Sharks +165 (bet $100 to win $165)Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Kings -1.5 (+118) | Sharks +1.5 (-145)Over/Under (O/U): 6 (O: -120 | U: +100)Kings at Sharks projected goalies
Darcy Kuemper (2-2-2, 2.78 GAA, .887 SV%) vs. Yaroslav Askarov (1-3-1, 4.79 GAA, .855 SV%)
Kuemper last played Saturday, allowed 4 goals in a shootout loss at the Nashville Predators. The veteran netminder, who has notched a .920 SV% or better in 5 of the last 8 seasons, has gotten off to a slow start this fall. He has yielded 3 goals or more in 4 of his 6 starts.
Askarov played Sunday at Minnesota and allowed 5 goals which just continued what have been some early-season struggles. A start Tuesday would mark just his second at home this season; he clocked a .908 SV% at home last season.
Kings at Sharks picks and predictionsPrediction
Kings 3, Sharks 1
Getting LA near -190 would be a leverage play, but consider some puck-line action on the visitors in this spot.
PASS.
Dating back to a tough Oct. 18 home game against the Carolina Hurricanes, the Kings have tallied 3 goals or more in 4 of their last 5 games. That includes games against Carolina and Chicago, who have thus far logged first-division averages in goals-against.
At the other end of that defensive measure are the Sharks. San Jose heads into this game yielding an NHL-worst 4.67 goals per game. The Sharks typically yield a lot of scoring chances and included in those have been too many high-danger looks. And their 65.6% penalty kill (29th NHL) marks the biggest outlier figure among the special-teams sectors of this matchup.
LA figures as much the better team in 5-on-5 play. They own a big expected-goals edge in that department over their last 2 games. Over that same stretch, the Kings have also killed off 7-of-7 opponent power plays.
The Kings are the value side here. FanDuel Sportsbook has a better line to leverage. They list a KINGS -1.5 (+132) PL play.
Overall, LA has played solid defense on its current road trip. Under betters have won 3 and lost 1 on the trip.
With subpar goaltending and a 13.4% shooting mark (fourth in NHL), San Jose games have thus far had bloated scores. The Sharks look to be a decent Under bet in the near term.
Add in some lean toward Kuemper settling in with a bit of a rally, and the UNDER 6 (-110) is the leverage side in this tilt.
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