April 1, 2026, 11:30 a.m. ET

The St. Louis Blues (31-31-11) and the LA Kings (29-26-18) meet Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. Puck drop is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Let’s analyze NHL odds around the Blues vs. Kings and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.

Season series: Kings lead 2-0

The Kings posted a 5-4 victory in a shootout on Jan. 24 in the most recent meeting between the teams at Enterprise Center in St. Louis as a moderate favorite (-152) as the Over (5.5) cashed. L.A. has won 3 in a row in this series, and each of the previous 4 meetings have finished in overtime or a shootout. The Under is 5-1 in the past 6 games in the series.

St. Louis suffered a 5-4 loss in San Jose on Monday as a slight favorite (-110) as the Over (6) cashed. Blues LW Jake Neighbours had 2 assists with a plus-1 rating in the loss. That halted a 4-game winning streak and 5-game point streak. The Blues are 4-1-1 in their past 6 games and 10-2-2 across their previous 14. The Under is 7-1-1 in the past 9 games, and 12-2-1 across the previous 15 contests.

Los Angeles was buried 6-2 at home against the Utah Mammoth on Saturday as slight favorites (-115) as the Over (5.5) cashed. RW Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist against Utah in a losing effort.

The Kings have at least a point in 8 of the past 11 games, going 4-3-4 while allowing 3.5 goals per game (GPG) in the past 6 outings. The Under has a slight 3-2 edge in the previous 5 games, though.

L.A. is behind the Nashville Predators by 1 point for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference but the Kings have a game in hand on the Predators. The Kings are also tied with the Winnipeg Jets with 76 points, although they have a game in hand on the Jets, as well. The San Jose Sharks and Seattle Kraken each have 75 points, while the Blues have managed 73 points, so they’re still in the hunt, too.

Watch the NHL on Fubo!Blues at Kings odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:20 a.m. ET.

Moneyline (ML): Blues +120 (bet $100 to win $120) | Kings -145 (bet $145 to win $100)Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Blues +1.5 (-210) | Kings -1.5 (+170)Over/Under (O/U): 5.5 (O: -105 | U: -115)Blues at Kings projected goalies

Jordan Binnington (12-18-6, 3.33 GAA, .873 SV%, 1 SO) vs. Darcy Kuemper (18-14-13, 2.67 GAA, .896 SV%, 3 SO)

Binnington picked up a victory Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, stopping 12 of 13 shots. He finished 4-1-0 with a 1.62 GAA and .921 SV% in 5 starts in March. The veteran has allowed 3 or fewer goals in 6 straight starts and 2 of fewer goals in 5 of those outings.

Kuemper was pounded for 5 goals on 16 shots in a 6-2 home loss against the Utah Mammoth on Saturday, getting pulled after 2 periods. Despite the ugly start, he still finished 4-2-4 with a respectable 2.65 GAA and .891 SV% with 1 SO in 10 starts in March.

Blues at Kings picks and predictionsPrediction

Kings 3, Blues 2

The KINGS (-145) are worth a look as moderate favorites in what is essentially an elimination game for the wild-card chase. With a loss, neither team is eliminated, but with several teams jockeying for that final spot, every point is important. Venue is important, and the Kings are the home team. While LA is a dismal 10-17-8 at Crypto.com Arena this season, St. Louis is 13-19-4 on the road.

The Blues +1.5 (-210) will cost you more than 2 times your potential return, and that’s just too much risk for a singular play. Perhaps if you play the Blues on the puck line as part of a multi-leg parlay, that would be OK, but AVOID as a solo play.

UNDER 5.5 (-115) is the lean, but go with a half-unit play at best.

This game will almost have a playoff-like feel, and with so much on the line, the scoring should be at a premium.

While the Under is just 3-2 in the past 5 games for the Kings, and 6-4 across their past 10 outings, it’s the Blues driving this Under train. The Under has gone 7-1-1 in the past 9 St. Louis games and 12-2-1 across the Blues’ previous 15 contests.

For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

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