Blackhawks vs Kings

Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks roll into Crypto.com Arena with points in four of their last five road games (3-1-1), buoyed by a scorching power play since Nov. 1 and a penalty kill running at 92.9% over that recent road stretch, while the Los Angeles Kings have cooled to a 2-2-1 mark in their last five, most of them low-scoring grinders. Both active rosters check out as expected on ESPN, with Chicago leaning on Bedard, Teuvo Teravainen, Tyler Bertuzzi and Spencer Knight, and Los Angeles countering with Anze Kopitar, Adrian Kempe and a deep blue line featuring Drew Doughty, all listed as active for 2025-26. Significant injuries are relatively light: the Blackhawks have Laurent Brossoit still out and Shea Weber on long-term injured reserve, but that mainly affects depth, whereas the Kings list Warren Foegele as day-to-day and are only “hopeful” on Doughty’s return from a lower-body issue, which could limit their usual shutdown look if he’s not fully up to speed. Historically this matchup has swung both ways recently—Knight stopped 41 in a 5-1 Chicago win over L.A. last March, but Kopitar led a 5-0 Kings blowout the year before—so with Chicago’s special teams spike and recent road form versus a Kings side coming off a 3-1 home loss to Washington, the underdog moneyline at 192 offers enough reward to justify the risk despite L.A.’s superior overall record and home-ice edge. This moneyline recommendation gets a B grade: the hit rate is still under 50% against a strong home favorite, but the payout makes the underdog worth a smaller, price-sensitive play. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 04/12/2025 09:49am

The total hinges on contrasting tendencies: Chicago’s suddenly lethal power play and improved road offense versus a Kings team that has dragged four of its last five into the 3–4 goal range (final scores of 2-1, 2-1, 5-4, 2-1 and 3-1), reflecting Jim Hiller’s slow, structure-heavy style and a goaltending trio that has generally kept games in check. The Blackhawks have indeed been involved in higher-event contests lately, but their surge is driven more by special teams than by run-and-gun 5-on-5 play, and their penalty kill has been stellar on this trip, which should temper Kings scoring even if Chicago takes a few penalties. On the Kings’ side, lingering health questions for Foegele and the just-returning Doughty suggest L.A. may lean even more on its defensive shell in front of Darcy Kuemper or Anton Forsberg, rather than chase a track meet against a hot Blackhawks power play, especially in the first leg of a back-to-back mini-series between these clubs. With both teams’ recent trends pointing toward tight, one- or two-goal margins and only one of L.A.’s last five surpassing 5.5 goals, Under 5.5 at 100 looks slightly underpriced, making a 3-2 or 3-1 type game the most likely script. This total recommendation earns a B+ grade: not a slam dunk, but a solid blend of probability and even-money payoff given current form and injuries. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 04/12/2025 09:49am

Given that the Kings have played five straight decided by two goals or fewer and three of those by a single goal, while Chicago has earned points in four of its last five road games and historically has taken points in 16 of its last 21 trips to L.A. (9-5-7), the +1.5 puckline on the Blackhawks looks like the most conservative way to ride their current upswing. The active rosters show Chicago dressing a deeper forward group than in recent seasons—Bedard, Teravainen, Bertuzzi, Andre Burakovsky and Ilya Mikheyev—backed by a big, mobile defense and Knight coming off that 41-save statement win over L.A. last spring, while the Kings lean heavily on Kopitar, Kempe and Kevin Fiala with some scoring depth questions if Foegele isn’t fully healthy and Doughty is easing back from injury. Los Angeles’ preference for lower-event, structured hockey at home makes multi-goal wins less common, and with Chicago’s improved special teams and faceoff performance on this trip, the Blackhawks have several paths to either an outright upset or a competitive one-goal loss that cashes this spread. At a price of -140 the value isn’t enormous, but the likelihood of Chicago staying within a goal is high enough that the +1.5 puckline earns a B+ grade as a steadier, lower-variance exposure than the moneyline. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 04/12/2025 09:49am