NHL Picks for Tonight: Los Angeles Kings vs Colorado Avalanche || January 26, 2024

Battle of West tonight between the Los Angeles Kings (22-14-9) and Colorado Avalanche (31-14-3). These 2 teams met back in the beginning of December and the Kings won 4-1. We have seen some changes in the 2 teams since their last matchup.

Colorado has been playing good hockey as of late. They come into this game on a 2-game winning streak and are 7-3-0 in their last 10 games. The Avs are 2nd in the Central Division.

With a record of 19-5-0, the Avs have one of the best home records in the league. The offense has been buzzing and one man in particular has been as hot as the sun.

Nathan Mackinnon has been on an absolute tear this season. He has 30 goals and 52 assists and it's not even fully halfway through the season. Mackinnon is coming off a 4-goal performance and has had at least 1 point in each of his last 10 games.

This Avalanche team is stacked on offense with talent, with guys like Mikko Rantanen and Valeri Nichushkin. They rank 1st in the league for goals scored per game with 3.81. Colorado also ranks 3rd in shooting percentage at 11.9% on the year.

Defensively the team is led by the two headed monster in Cale Makar and Devon Toews. They rank 8th in the league for shots on goal allowed (29.2), but 18th in goals allowed per game (3.15).

Goaltender Alexander Georgiev is expected to get the start in net. He has a 26-11-2 record and leads the league in wins. His GAA is 2.95 and he has a .895 save percentage. At the midway point of the season, Georgiev is definitely in the Vezina conversation.

Can the slumping Kings get past the red hot Avs?

Los Angeles had a great start to the season and went undefeated on the road for 12 games. Lately though, they don't look like the same team and have been struggling.

Dropping their last 2 games, the Kings are 2-5-3 in their last 10 games. They have a road record of 14-5-3 and are 1-2-2 in their last 5 road games. LA is a strong defensive team, but their offense has been very suspect.

There may be some friction going on within the team. Defensemen and team veteran Drew Doughty said in a post-game interview that guys need to worry more about winning than scoring or personal play.

On offense, the Kings like to rip the puck. They rank 2nd in the league for shots on goal per game with 34.1. Only ranking 14th for goals per game (3.18) and 15th for power play percentage (21.5%), their offense is mid else wise.

This team is stacked on the defensive end with the numbers they are putting up. Los Angeles is 3rd in the league in both goals allowed (2.58) and shots on goal allowed (27.8) per game. They also have the best penalty kill in the league, killing at an 87.5% rate.

The difference of this game is going to be the goaltending for the Kings. Backup goalie David Rittich is expected in net over Cam Talbot, but Rittich has held his own. He has a 4-1-2 record this season with a 1.76 GAA and a .930 save percentage.

It should be a good matchup between these 2, but will Colorado's offense be too much for the Kings defense? Let's check out the odds and get into it.

Betting Odds

Puck Line

• Los Angeles Kings +1.5 (-196)
• Colorado Avalanche -1.5 (+162)

Moneyline

• Los Angeles Kings +122
• Colorado Avalanche -146

Totals

• Over 6.5 (-102)
• Under 6.5 (-120)

Odds courtesy of MyBookie

Game Information

• Venue: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
• Date: Friday, January 26, 2024
• Puck Drop: 9pm EST
• TV: ALT, BSW

Los Angeles Kings vs Colorado Avalanche Prediction and Picks

Prediction and Pick: Colorado Avalanche Moneyline (-146) Get 50% up to $750 Deposit on BETUS for this pick

This is an easy one for me. The Avalanche are playing great hockey right now and the Kings are not at all. Even with the Kings' road record, they have not been playing good hockey over the last 10 games.

Nathan Mackinnon will look to continue his dominance on offense. Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar I'm sure will get in on the fun as well. The Kings defense is the best chance they have to win this game, but the Avs are absolutely buzzing.

I like Colorado facing the backup goalie as well. Great record and numbers this year, but not a very big sample size. He also is 4-5-0 in his last 10 games vs Colorado, losing the last 2 in a row. He has a 3.92 GAA and a .878 save percentage over those 10 games as well.

I don't mind paying the juice man on this on. The boys are absolutely buzzing, and the league leading MVP is not going to be slowing down.

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