by Rod Pearson
Wednesday, Jan 29, 2025
Game Time: 7:00 pm ET, Thursday, January 30, 2025
Venue: Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL
Where to Watch: ESPN+
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Moneyline: Kings +130, Lightning -155; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
Bet365: Moneyline: Kings +130, Lightning -155; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
BetMGM: Moneyline: Kings +130, Lightning -155; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
Season Record
Los Angeles Kings: 26-15-6 (3rd place, Pacific Division)
Tampa Bay Lightning: 26-20-3 (5th place, Atlantic Division)
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Recent Form
Los Angeles Kings: 4-5-1 last 10
Tampa Bay Lightning: 4-5-1 last 10
Los Angeles Kings vs Tampa Bay Lightning Preview and Analysis
The Kings are entering this game with 58 points, a 26-15-6 record overall, and they are 11-12-5 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the Detroit Red Wings in their last game, losing that one on the road 5-2, but this is also the 2nd game of a back-to-back for them with their game against the Florida Panthers still to be played on Wednesday night. In their game against the Red Wings, Quinton Byfield and Kevin Fiala each scored 1 goal for them in that one. Alex Laferriere and Jordan Spence each led the team in assists with 1 while Adrian Kempe led the team in shots on net in that game with 4. Darcy Kuemper was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 4 goals on 27 shots with 23 saves and a .852 save percentage. Their offense has scored 135 goals this season averaging 2.9 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 119 goals against them allowing 2.5 goals per game.
The Lightning are entering this game with 55 points, a 26-20-3 record overall, and they are 15-7-1 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the Chicago Blackhawks in their last game, losing that one at home 4-1. Brayden Point scored 1 goal for them in that one. Jake Guentzel and Nikita Kucherov each led the team in assists with 1 while Brayden Point led the team in shots on net in that game with 7. Jonas Johansson was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 3 goals on 19 shots with 16 saves and a .842 sv percentage. Their offense has scored 172 goals this season averaging 3.5 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 140 goals against them allowing 2.9 goals per game.
Kings vs Lightning Prediction
The current betting odds have the Lightning listed as a favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Lightning have looked good in their games this season with their 26-20-3 record overall which has them in 5th place of their division in the East. They have looked good on home ice with their 15-7-1 home record this year, but they still have a lot of work to do to make the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Kings have looked good in their games this season with their 26-15-6 record overall which has them in 3rd place of their division in the West. They haven't been a good road team though with their 11-12-5 road record this season. Neither of these teams have been good in their games lately, both teams going 4-5-1 over their last 10 games, but the Lightning are in a better situation with some rest on their side. The Lightning are coming off a loss to the Blackhawks in their last one so they are going to be looking to bounce back on home ice where they have been a lot better this year. The Kings are also coming off a loss in their last one, losing to the Red Wings 5-2, but they also have a game against the defending Stanley Cup champions on Wednesday night and that game will take some of their focus away from this one. The Lightning can take advantage of the Kings on a back-to-back here and how bad they have looked in road games this season. The best way to place a bet here is on the Lightning to win this game.
Kings Lightning Prediction: Our NHL Pick for Thursday, January 30, 2025 (7:00 pm ET start time) is Lightning 3 Kings 1.
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NHL Betting Trends
Los Angeles Kings: 118-102 (-9.1 units) on the moneyline in all games. 10-17 (-13.1 units) on the moneyline in a road game where the total is 5.5. 21-27 (-9.1 units) on the moneyline when playing against a marginal winning team (Win Pct. 51% to 60%). 25-38 (-10.3 units) on the moneyline versus very good teams - outscoring their opponents by 0.5+ goals/game.
Tampa Bay Lightning: 68-41 (+4.3 units) on the moneyline in home games. 54-34 (+6.2 units) on the moneyline in non-conference games. 25-14 (+4.5 units) on the moneyline off a home loss. 64-43 (+5.1 units) on the moneyline after playing a home game.
Key Injuries
Los Angeles Kings: D. Doughty (D) Out - Ankle.
Tampa Bay Lightning: A. Vasilevskiy (G) Day To Day - Illness. J. Moser (D) Out - Lower-body.
Notable Quotes
"It's sucked, I'm not going to lie. It's very repetitive, you have to work your bag off, even just to get something back like mobility. That's a lot of hard work to get back.” - Drew Doughty on the injury he has been dealing with.
“There is no team in the league that has had a schedule like us in January. We’ve played 14 games in 24 days in three time zones, and 10 of them are on the road. Fatigue might be a bit of an issue there, too.” - Jon Cooper on his team’s schedule in January.
Starting Lineups
Los Angeles Kings
LW Alex Turcotte
C Anze Kopitar
RW Adrian Kempe
LD Mikey Anderson
RD Vladislav Gavrikov
G Darcy Kuemper
Tampa Bay Lightning
LW Jake Guentzel
C Brayden Point
RW Nikita Kucherov
LD Victor Hedman
RD Darren Raddysh
G Jonas Johansson
Statistical Leaders
Los Angeles Kings
Points: A. Kempe (44)
Goals: A. Kempe (24)
Assists: A. Kopitar (31)
GAA: D. Kuemper (2.17)
Tampa Bay Lightning
Points: N. Kucherov (74)
Goals: B. Point (28)
Assists: N. Kucherov (51)
GAA: A. Vasilevskiy (2.34)
Coaches:
Los Angeles Kings: Jim Hiller (2nd season)
Tampa Bay Lightning: Jon Cooper (13th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
