Picks: Toews Back as the Hawks Host the Kings
A rare one-game Monday night in the NHL tonight but it features many of the league’s best scorers. Both teams have only won 2 of their last 5. Check out more analysis after the jump!
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Los Angeles Kings +130 at Chicago Blackhawks -150
Which Kings team will show up tonight? The one that rallied beat the Penguins at home or the one that lost to the Predators in their next game? The Hawks have done much of the same teeter-tottering when it comes to opponents this season as well so picking a legitimate winner here seems near impossible. The Hawks are 6-2-1 at home this season but is 0-2 against Pacific Division opponents. The Kings are 5-3-1 on the road and are 2-3 against Central Division opponents, getting a bit more value on their +130 odds. We should also see Jonathan Toews make his return for the Blackhawks and take his regular spot on the Hawks’ top line. Toews should bring an added boost to the Hawks’ offense which averages about 3.3 goals per game at home. With Toews in the lineup, 6 of the Hawks’ 9 games played were over the posted game total and the Hawks were 5-3-1. Tonight is maybe the biggest test for the Hawks’ defense and Huet since he was pulled after 7 mins in Calgary as the Kings boast the league’s 6th-best offense at 3.4 goals scored per game, led by the league’s top scorer Anze Kopitar. Hopefully we get to see the offense take center stage tonight but we should be in for a good game at the very least.
Pick: Over 5.5 goals -110
Betting results by category so far this season:
- Money Line 34-34, -18.13
- Puck Line 7-13, -4.3
- Totals 29-19-1, +2.97