This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
NHL Picks for January 3: Stars vs. Kings
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The Dallas Stars (23-9-6) kick off a two-game Southern California quick trip against the Los Angeles Kings (21-13-6) at Crypto.com Arena in L.A. This is the second of three regular-season meetings between these Western Conference foes.
The Stars picked up a 5-2 victory in the Metroplex behind Scott Wedgewood on Nov. 1 in the first meeting this season, as starting goaltender Jake Oettinger was sidelined due to a lower-body injury.
Dallas picked up a 5-2 win on New Year's Eve against the San Jose Sharks as the Over connected, as the Stars have picked up four consecutive wins dating back to before the holiday break. Dallas also has just one loss in regulation (Dec. 21) in the past nine games, and two losses in regulation in the previous 12 outings.
The Kings, meanwhile, were doubled up by the visiting Philadelphia Flyers on NYE as the Under just came in. In that one, Jonathan Quick conceded three goals on just 22 shots, as he was outplayed by rookie Samuel Ersson, who was making just his third career NHL start.
Oettinger (17-5-3, 2.36 GAA, .921 SV%, 2 SO) is projected to start, and the Kings are likely to go with Pheonix Copley (8-1-0, 2.58 GAA, .905 SV%) after Quick wet the bed last time out.
Copley, the North Pole, AK native, has won six consecutive starts dating back to Dec. 13. He has allowed three or fewer goals in five of those outings, and head coach Todd McLellan got away from Copley after he allowed four goals in a 5-4 SO win in Colorado on Thursday.
The Stars have picked up five wins in the past six road games, while cashing in five of the past seven against Western Conference clubs.
The Kings are 6-1 in the past seven against the Western Conference, while hitting in four of the past five at Crypto, and six of the past eight games overall.
Both teams are red-hot, but the lean here is to the Stars, who have dominated this series. Dallas is 5-1 in the past six meetings in this series, including the first one this season, while going 6-1 in the past seven trips to Los Angeles.
NHL Moneyline Bets for Stars vs. Kings
- Stars -125 ML (at BetMGM)
The best bet on the board is going Under in this battle, as Oettinger and Copley won't allow much.
In the fact, the Stars have cashed the Under at a 7-3-1 clip in the past 11 games overall, while going 8-1 in the past nine games on the road, while hitting at a 5-2 clip in the past seven games against teams with a winning overall record.
The Kings have also been hitting frequently lately, going 7-2 in the past nine games overall, while going 4-1 in the previous five games at home.
The Under is a risky play, mainly because the Stars hit on the power play at a 27.8% clip. However, the danger is mitigated somewhat by the fact they're fourth in the NHL with an 83.2% penalty kill rate.
The Kings are so-so on the power play at 23.4%, but they're rather dismal on the kill at 71.7%. That's the biggest concern here, although Copley has been more than equal to the task lately. Expect a total of five or fewer goals here.
NHL Totals Bets for Stars vs. Kings
- Under 6 (+100 at Caesars)
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NHL Players Props for Stars vs. Kings
Taking a look at the props, there are a few interesting props to look into:
Viktor Arvidsson of the Kings has been on fire in the past few games, going for a goal and six points during a three-game point streak, including a pair of power-play assists in Colorado last Thursday. As such, playing Over 0.5 Points is worth a look, as he has been the hottest King. Take a chance on Arvidsson for a power-play point, too, for a chance to more than triple up.
- Viktor Arvidsson Over 0.5 Points (-140 at FanDuel)
- Viktor Arvidsson Over 0.5 PP Points (+340 at FanDuel)
Robertson enters this game on a seven-game point streak, posting two goals and 11 points during the run. He has three multi-point games during the span, so he is worth a roll of the dice. In addition, in the first meeting with the Kings, he went for a power-play goal and two helpers on the man advantage for a tidy three-point night.
- Jason Robertson Over 1.5 Points (+146 at FanDuel)
