Kings Look To Take Season Series From Bruins
The fact that Boston has yet to suffer a regulation loss at home has generated most of the attention. However, the Bruins are pretty good on the road as well, with a 10-4-1 record entering Thursday’s game at LA.
Los Angeles is 12-6-2 at home, but the Kings are without forwards Arthur Kaliyev and Trevor Moore.
Boston is second in the NHL with an average of 3.73 goals per game, first with a 2.16 goals-against average and penalty killing. The Bruins are also in the top five in faceoff winning percentage, shots per game, and power-play goals per game.
The Kings are in the top 10 at winning faceoffs, power-play goals, shots per game, and shot differential.
According to the NHL playoff odds, the Bruins (+550) have the best odds to win the Stanley Cup. The Kings are 16th at +3500.
Let’s check the latest NHL odds, stats, injury reports, and NHL lines for Bruins vs Kings. We’ve plenty of NHL betting odds for you to consider.
Tough Blow for DeBrusk
Perhaps no forward on the Boston roster welcomed a change at the top more than former first-round pick Jake DeBrusk.
DeBrusk was a prime target to be a healthy scratch when Bruce Cassidy was coaching the Bruins. However, it is a different story under the tutelage of Jim Montgomery.
DeBrusk scored both goals for the Bruins in the Winter Classic against Pittsburgh at Fenway Park. He put home a perfect set-up from Taylor Hall with 2:24 left to play as the Bruins rallied from an early one-goal deficit for the 2-1 win. Unfortunately for the Bruins and DeBrusk, he appears to have suffered a leg injury that could keep him out for a while.
No shock given that he didn’t accompany #NHLBruins out west, but I’m told Jake DeBrusk has a fractured fibula that will keep him out.
Tough blow for DeBrusk, playing the best hockey of his career.@DailyFaceoff
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) January 4, 2023
DeBrusk is second on the Bruins with 16 goals.
A two-time 20-goal scorer, DeBrusk was on pace for a career-high 35 goals. While he has benefitted from being on the same line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, the winning goal against the Penguins came after Montgomery took DeBrusk off Bergeron’s line and put him with David Krejci and Hall.
The Las Vegas odds total has gone under in six of Boston’s last nine games.
Kings Kicking It Into High Gear
The Kings have one regulation loss over their last nine games. A balanced offense has played a key role, with 12 different players having at least one goal.
Phillip Danault and Adrian Kempe lead the way with five goals each during that stretch, while Kempe and Alex Iafallo are tied for the team lead with two game-winning goals over those nine contests.
A huge key has been the play of goalies Pheonix Copley and Jonathan Quick.
Copley is 7-0-0 with a 2.19 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage. He is coming off a 28-save performance in a win over Dallas, with Kempe scoring the tie-breaking goal on the power play midway through the third period.
The NHL betting lines total has gone under in seven of the last 10 games played by the Kings.
Bruins vs Kings Game Injuries
Bruins vs Kings Head-to-Head
The Kings have won two games in a row against Boston. Each of the last six games between the teams has been decided by one goal, while four of the last six meetings finished under the total.
The current hot streak for Los Angeles began with a shootout win over the Bruins. Kempe scored twice in the third period as the Kings erased a two-goal deficit and Trevor Moore had the deciding goal in the shootout.
The last time the Bruins played in Los Angeles, they rolled to a 7-0 win on Feb. 28, 2022. Boston has won the last four road games against the Kings.
Bruins vs Kings Game Information
- Game: Bruins (29-4-4) vs Kings (22-13-6)
- Location: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- Day/Time: Thursday, Jan. 5th, 10:30 p.m. ET
- Bruins vs Kings Live Stream: NHL.TV
Bruins vs Kings Betting Lines
Bruins vs Kings Picks & Prediction
It seems natural to expect a bit of a letdown for the Bruins after the emotional win in the Winter Classic. Los Angeles is playing well enough that it should be able to capitalize if Boston doesn’t start the game on time.
The Bruins are 23-5-4 as a favorite, while Los Angeles is 12-9-1 when listed as the underdog by the sportsbook.
The Bruins are 10-5 against the spread on the road compared to an 8-12 mark by the Kings against the spread on home ice.
The Boston Bruins are listed at -160 in our Las Vegas odds. This means that if you wager $100 on the Bruins, you have a chance to win $63. Los Angeles Kings is +140, offering a chance to win $140 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Boston Bruins a 61.54% chance to win, with the Los Angeles Kings at 41.67%.
