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Los Angeles Kings vs Vancouver Canucks: A matchup between two of the best defensive teams in the league
The Los Angeles Kings are visiting the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Center on Monday.
The Kings have won the last three games
The Los Angeles Kings are seventh in the Western Conference with a 37-22-11 record. They have won the last three games and are coming off a 4-3 overtime win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Kings are the third-best defensive team in the league, allowing 2.54 goals per game, and are ranked 16th, scoring 3.11. Anze Kopitar, Adrian Kempe, and Kevin Fiala all have 62 points so far in the season.
The Canucks are the best team in the West
The Vancouver Canucks are on top of the Western Conference with a 45-18-8 record. They have won the last three games and are coming off a 4-2 win over the Calgary Flames. The Canucks are fourth in the league, allowing 2.63 goals per game, and are ranked one spot lower, scoring 3.51. JT Miller is having an outstanding season, being ranked in the top 10 in the NHL with 56 assists and 90 total points.
Betting Trends
These two teams have played under the total goal line in 9 of their last 10 head-to-head games. The Canucks have played under the total goal line in 4 of the last 6 home games and 5 of the last 6 home games against the Kings. Los Angeles has stayed under in 4 of the last 6 road games.
Prediction and Conclusion
Both teams are coming off a solid week, winning the last three games. The Canucks have been on top of the conference for most of the season, while the Kings have seen a significant drop in the standings in the second half of the season. Interestingly, the Kings have a better record on the road than when playing at home, but it will not be easy to win in the Northwest. Both teams are in the top five in defensive ratings and have played under the total goal line in nine of their last 10 head-to-head games. Therefore, we are going with under 6 goals in this one.
