Dean Etheridge
The Los Angeles Kings are the latest side to try and stop the Boston Bruins and here we preview their clash at the Crypto.com Arena in our latest NHL betting picks.
- What; NHL
- Who; Los Angeles Kings vs Boston Bruins
- Where; Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
- When; Thursday, January 5th, 2023
- Puck Drop; 10.30 pm ET
The Los Angeles Kings are having a good season, They sit second in the Pacific Division with 50 points from 41 matches. But when you put their record alongside that of the Boston Bruins this season, there simply is no comparison.
The Bruins are the runaway leaders of the Atlantic Division with 62 points from just 37 games. They are nine points clear of the Toronto Maple Leafs who sit in second position, and it’s this excellent form that has seen the best sportsbooks make the Bruins their betting favorites to win the 2023 Stanley Cup.
2023 Stanley Cup Winner Betting
The Bruins are now just +550 to win the 2023 Stanley Cup. Tonight’s opponents, the Kings, are +3500. Elsewhere in the betting, and last season’s champions, the Colorado Avalanche are +700 second favorites, with the Carolina Hurricanes next at +750. The Toronto Maple Leafs are +800, with the Vegas Golden Knights at +1000 making up the top five in the betting.
| Stanley Cup Winner Betting 2023 |  |  |  |
| Boston Bruins | +550 | +550 | +550 |
| Colorado Avalanche | +700 | +700 | +700 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | +750 | +750 | +750 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | +800 | +900 | +850 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | +950 | +1000 | +950 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | +1400 | +1300 | +1200 |
| New Jersey Devils | +1600 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Florida Panthers | +1800 | +1800 | +1700 |
| Calgary Flames | +2000 | +2000 | +2000 |
| New York Rangers | +2200 | +1900 | +2000 |
| Edmonton Oilers | +2200 | +2000 | +2000 |
| Dallas Stars | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
| Winnipeg Jets | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
In futures betting, to win the Pacific Division, the Kings are +650. They are third in the odds behind the Golden Knights (-160), and the Calgary Flames (+500). Edmonton Oilers are next after the Kings at +750, in what looks like a four way battle with the best NHL betting sites.
In the betting to win the Western Conference, the Kings are +1400, which puts them way down the betting as eighth favorites. The Colorado Avalanche lead this market at +325, and they are closely followed by the Vegas Golden Knights at +375.
As for the Bruins, well they are favorites to win everything. In the betting to win the Atlantic Division, they are runaway favorites at -400. Their closest rival is the Toronto Maple Leafs at +375. While in the betting to win the Eastern Conference, they are a much more appealing looking +295. After that are the Hurricanes at +425, and the Maple Leafs at +500.
All the above odds are brought to you by Bovada. You can read more about them at our Bovada sportsbook review.
Kings need to keep winning to put pressure on the Golden Knights
Onto tonight’s match, and can the Kings claim another win and keep the pressure on the Golden Knight at the top of the division? Well, it’s certainly going to be difficult. But with a 7-2-1 record in their last ten matches, the Kings are in good enough form.
In their last outing they defeated the Dallas Stars 3-2 at the Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night, with Adrian Kempe finishing off a flowing move in the third period to give the Kings the win.
JUST. GORGEOUS. 🧃 pic.twitter.com/94BS6WUn6J
— LA Kings (@LAKings) January 4, 2023
This was the perfect way for Todd McLellan’s side to bounce back from their 4-2 home defeat to the Flyers in their final match of 2022. The win was made all the more sweeter by the fact that it brought to an end the Stars own four match winning streak.
So will this current form be enough for the Kings when the Bruins come calling? The Bruins themselves are on a winning streak of one, and in their last ten, their record reads 7-0-3.
The winning streak of one is a bit misleading when you consider they haven’t suffered a regulation time defeat since they lost 4-3 away to the Coyotes back on December 9th. That means they have gone eleven games since they last tasted a full on defeat. All this doesn’t bode well for the Kings ahead of tonight’s showdown.
Kings vs Bruins Betting Picks
In the latest betting the Bruins are -155 on the moneyline, while the Kings are +140.
The handicap spread sees the Kings get the 1.5 goals start. With the start, they’re the favorites at -190. The Bruins are +165 from -1.5 goals. Finally, the total points spread is set at 6. Both over and under is -110.
On the handicap line, I’m not against a win for the Bruins, they will give someone a hammering sometime soon.
But I’m looking at the stats, and they are showing that the Bruins have only won one of their last six matches by more than one goal. So for this reason, I’m making a Bruins win on the moneyline my opening pick.
When it comes to total goals, a quick look at the Kings shows that there have been plenty of goals at both ends when they have been playing recently. This isn’t the case with the Bruins.
But I think with the way the Kings are playing, I can see the Bruins getting plenty of chances, and I’m going for over 6 goals for my final pick.
