NHL Lightning vs Kings Picks and Odds, January 4, 2024

The Tampa Bay Lightning head out west tonight to take on the Los Angeles Kings. Both teams are off to decent starts this season. This will be the 1st time they meet this season.

Los Angeles is 22-10-5 this season and 2nd in the Pacific Division. They come into this game on a 3-game winning streak. The Kings are 13-2-1 at home this season, which is impressive, and 6-2-2 in their last 10 games.

You’d think they’d be heavy on the offense, but not so much. Los Angeles is 12th in goals scored and 22nd in shots on goal per game. Their power play isn’t good at all, ranking 27th in the league. You’re probably thinking, how the heck do they have such a good record? It’s called defense.

This team is a juggernaut on defense. The Kings rank 3rd best in the league for goals allowed and 1st in the league for shots on goal allowed per game. They absolutely smother you on defense and make it extremely tough for their opponents.

Goalie Darcy Kuemper is expected in net tonight. He has a 10-2-5 record this season with a 2.29 GAA and a .914 save percentage. He’ll be tested vs this fast Lightning team.

Tampa Bay looks to break 2-game losing streak tonight

Lightning forward Brandon Hagel gets hacked by the Kings as he passes the puck.

The Lightning are 20-13-2 this season and 4th in the Atlantic Division. They come into this game on a 2-game losing streak and just had an embarrassing loss to the Sharks. On the road, they’re 9-7-1 and 6-4-0 in their last 10 games.

This is Tampa’s first year without long time captain Steven Stamkos. The addition of Jake Guentzel really helped fill the void pretty quickly. This team leads the league in goals scored per game with 3.86. Their power play is dangerous, ranking 3rd in the league.

Tampa plays decent defense, ranking middle of the pack in the league. They allow less than 3 goals per game and have the 11th best penalty kill in the league. This team is fast paced and offense first but can still hold it down on defense.

Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy is expected in net. He has a 16-11-1 record with a 2.38 GAA and a .913 save percentage. It’s the 1st time he’ll see the Kings this season and he’ll be tested. Let’s check out the odds and get into the picks.

Tampa Bay Lightning vs Los Angeles Kings Betting Odds and Game Information

Lightning vs Kings Betting Odds

Puck Line

Tampa Bay Lightning +1.5 (-275)
Log Angels Kings -1.5 (+200)

Moneyline

Tampa Bay Lightning +100
Los Angeles Kings -120

Totals

Over 5.5 (-125)
Under 5.5 (+105)

Odds courtesy of BetOnline – Get 50% up to $1000 on your first deposit

Lightning vs Kings Game Information

Venue: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Date: Saturday January 4, 2025
Puck Drop: 9pm EST
TV: FDSW, FDSSUN

Tampa Bay Lightning vs Los Angeles Kings Prediction and Picks

Kings forward Trevor Moore gets the puck passed Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Lightning vs Kings Picks and Prediction: Game Total Under 5.5 Goals (+105) Get 50% up to $1000 Deposit on BetOnline for this pick

I’m going with the under in this game based on the goalies starting and the Kings defense. We should see a battle between these 2 tonight, which can make for more of a battle than scoring fest.

The Kings home record also makes me lean with them. We’re getting good value at -120 as well. They should get the job done without a problem at home. The Lightning could still have the New Years hangover, as they showed in their last game.

For some props, I like Phillip Danault to record a point for +130 value. He has recorded a point in his last 5 games and 7 out of his last 10 games. Danault has also recorded a point in 4 out of his last 5 games vs Tampa.

The goalie props may be a good look too. I wouldn’t hate Keumper saves if the line is set around 26 saves. Tampa can fire the puck when given the chance and a power play can tick that number up.