Ducks vs Kings

With the Kings trying to halt a 0-2-1 home slide and the Ducks just snapping an eight-game losing streak with a 3-1 win over Dallas, this matchup pits Anaheim’s recent course correction against Los Angeles’ broader edge in defensive structure and goaltending. The Ducks are still without Frank Vatrano and Petr Mrazek, while Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, and Troy Terry are listed day-to-day, whereas the Kings are missing captain Anze Kopitar and top-six winger Trevor Moore, a major blow to their center depth and even-strength scoring. Even so, Los Angeles can lean on a healthy Adrian Kempe—who has been a long-time Ducks killer—and a blue line led by Drew Doughty and Brandt Clarke in front of the steadier Darcy Kuemper, whose 2.50 GAA and .904 save percentage outclass Lukas Dostal’s .889 save rate behind Anaheim’s 3.67 team GAA. The Kings also have recent high-leverage Freeway Faceoff success at crypto.com Arena, including a 6-1 rout of the Ducks both last April and again in December, and they hold a two-point edge on Anaheim in a crowded Pacific where every point matters past the 41-game mark. Laying -162 on a banged-up favorite with shaky home form limits the value, but with superior goaltending, defensive metrics, and Kempe’s track record against Anaheim, Kings moneyline is still the side; I’ll grade it a B for solid likelihood but only moderate return. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 16/01/2026 09:35

The recent form and rivalry profile both lean toward goals here: Anaheim’s last five have averaged well over six total goals thanks to leaky defending, and the Kings’ last five also land in the mid-sixes, while this season’s first two meetings finished 5-4 (shootout) and 6-1, continuing a trend of Freeway Faceoff overs. The Ducks bring a 3.24 GF/G and 3.67 GA/G into this one, and even with Vatrano sidelined and their top line pieces banged up, a likely mix of Carlsson, Gauthier, McTavish, and Terry still gives them multiple scoring layers against a Kings team that suppresses shots but has struggled to close games cleanly during its current 1-3-1 stretch. Los Angeles’ offense has lagged at 2.59 GF/G this year, but Kevin Fiala, Quinton Byfield, and Kempe have repeatedly produced multi-point nights against Anaheim, and with Kopitar and Moore out, the Kings are more reliant on their offensive core than ever in a divisional game with direct playoff implications. Given how often this matchup has produced 7+ totals recently and how Anaheim’s defensive numbers invite high-event hockey, I’m comfortable targeting Over 6 at -125, expecting a 4-3 or 5-3 type script with a push as the realistic floor; I’ll label this a B, reflecting good but not elite value at the current juice. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 16/01/2026 09:35

The streak and injury context make this puckline a classic conflict between price and matchup: Anaheim just ended an 0-8-0 spiral and is still short Vatrano (plus Mrazek), but if even two of Carlsson, Gauthier, and Terry dress, the Ducks’ top six suddenly looks far more dangerous than the raw record suggests, while Los Angeles enters on a 1-3-1 stretch and is missing Kopitar and Moore from its usual top scoring units. The Kings are a mediocre 7-10-6 at home and have been involved in a string of tight games—several one-goal losses or overtime results—so even when they’re the better side territorially, they haven’t consistently generated multi-goal separation without their full center spine. Head-to-head this season, Anaheim has already covered this number once in a 5-4 shootout win and failed once in a 6-1 loss in this building, and with the Ducks chasing the Kings by just two points in the Pacific after 46 games, the situational incentive strongly favors a maximum-effort, keep-it-close road approach. However, laying -175 on a team that just came off a prolonged skid against a rival with a recent history of blowout wins in this matchup keeps the edge thin; I’ll still lean to Ducks +1.5 based on Kings injuries and their tendency toward one-goal decisions, but that price caps the grade at C+. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 16/01/2026 09:35