Bruins And Kings Will Struggle To Light Lamps

Kings vs. Bruins, 12: 30 ET

Yesterday, the NHL only had one game on the agenda. Today they have loaded up the schedule with 13 games and a few nationally televised games. Hockey is one of the more interesting sports because even the best team can have really bad stretches. It also is a sport that sees a lot of the best teams lose early in the playoffs. It has been fun to watch the season unfold, even if the betting aspect hasn't gone the way that I would've liked it to go. Sports betting has a way of making you more interested in a sport and hate it at the same time. Today, we are kicking off our plays with a game between the Kings and Bruins. 

Los Angeles has put together a really solid season with a 25-16-10 record and sitting in fourth place of the Pacific Division. Today they have to start early against a Bruins team that is still good, but not quite as sharp as they were last season. The Kings don't have one dominant player, instead they have a plethora of guys that know how to find the back of the net. It is interesting to me that they have eight different guys that have been able to score 10 or more goals on the season and only one with 20 or more goals. However, they also have 12 players that have 15 or more points this season. While some teams have one guy that is scoring 80 or 90 points already on the season, there are very few that have three players with 40 or more points (and another with 39). The balance and playmaking has been effective all season for the Kings and they will need a full-team approach to beat the Bruins today. During the season, their biggest downfall has been inconsistency. They have a ton of players that are talented, but if they had one dominant force they might be even more impactful and be able to move up the standings. 

The Bruins were unquestionably the best team in hockey last season. They set records for the most points in a season, but the playoffs rolled around and they fell apart in seven games against the eventual Stanley Cup runner up, Florida Panthers. This season has seen some good hockey, but some stretches have left it apparent why they couldn't get the job done in the playoffs last year. Currently, they are on a three-game losing streak and have dropped four of their past five, and five of their past seven. Don't get me wrong, the team is still very talented - they have two guys with 50 or more points and another four with 30 or more points. One thing about the Bruins is that they have very clustered performances lately. Before this tough stretch, they won five straight games. Before that, they lost three straight, and four of five games. This has been the trend since the middle of December. At some point, the winning streak will restart, and they will start playing well again. They did win the first game against the Kings when they played in Los Angeles. 

I think the Bruins will win this one, but it is hard to back them here. I get that they are playing poorly right now, but I think they can turn it around in this game. They have the better squad and should be able to find a way to combat the team approach of the Kings with the more talented players of the Bruins. The Bruins do need to be more consistent offensively though. I do think the best play in this is the under. The offense of the Bruins has struggled, but their defense is still reasonable. I expect both teams to struggle to light the lamps. Let's back the under. 

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on Twitter: @futureprez2024