The Los Angeles Kings and Tampa Bay Lightning take the ice in NHL play at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday, Jan. 1 at 7 p.m. ET. The matchup airs on ESPN+.
Los Angeles fell in a 5-2 defeat on the road its last time out on Dec. 29 against the Colorado Avalanche.
Tampa Bay won on the road in its most recent game on Dec. 31, 4-3 over the Anaheim Ducks.
Here’s what you need to get ready for Thursday’s action.
Watch Kings vs. Lightning on Fubo! (Regional restrictions may apply)
Los Angeles Kings vs. Tampa Bay Lightning odds and betting lines
NHL odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Thursday at 1:52 a.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.
Favorite: Kings (-132)Underdog: Lightning (+111)Over/under: 5.5Kings vs. Lightning game info and start timeDate: Thursday, January 1, 2026Time: 7 p.m. ETTV channel: ESPN+Live stream: Watch on Fubo (Regional restrictions may apply)Live stream: Watch on ESPN+
Watch Kings vs. Lightning on Fubo! (Regional restrictions may apply)
Kings stats and trendsIn 26 games as the moneyline favorite this season, Los Angeles has won 11 of those matchups.In 19 games with moneyline oddds shorter than -132, the Kings have eight wins.Based on the moneyline odds, Los Angeles has a 56.9% chance of winning this contest.Los Angeles and its opponent have gone over the current 5.5-goal total in 16 of 38 games this season.In their last 10 games, the Kings are 3-5-2 to earn 55.0% of the possible points.They have averaged 2.3 goals per game (23 total) over that stretch.Defensively, the Kings have given up 25 goals (2.5 per game) in those 10 matchups.Lightning stats and trendsThis season the Lightning have six wins in the nine games in which they’ve been an underdog.Tampa Bay has played with moneyline odds of +111 or longer twice this season, and split 1-1.The win probability for the Lightning, implied from the moneyline, is 47.4%.Tampa Bay has combined with its opponent to score over 5.5 goals in 21 of 39 games this season.In their past 10 matchups, the Lightning are 7-2-1 to earn 80.0% of the possible points.They are scoring at a 4.1 goals-per-game average (41 total) during that stretch.On the defensive end, the Lightning have allowed 28 goals (2.8 per game) in those 10 outings.