Kings vs Ducks

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The last two Kings–Ducks meetings have played to one-goal margins and shootouts, and with Anaheim now back at home but still missing Carlsson and Vatrano, everything points to another razor-thin Freeway Faceoff where effort and goaltending keep the Ducks within striking distance even if their depleted offense makes a blowout win unlikely. Dostal just turned aside 26 shots in last night’s comeback and has shown he can hold Los Angeles to modest totals, while Anaheim’s remaining core — McTavish driving the middle, Zegras as a creator, and veterans like Ryan Strome and Mikael Granlund — is still good enough to trade chances with a Kings team that has struggled to close games despite owning the better defensive metrics. Given the rivalry context, the Ducks’ recent emotional boost after ending their long losing streak, Anaheim’s solid home form, and the fact that both teams sit in that 10th–11th range in the Western Conference where every point is magnified, this profiles as another one-goal contest far more often than it does a multi-goal Kings runaway. I like the idea of backing Los Angeles on the moneyline while protecting against another tight finish by taking Anaheim +1.5 on the puckline at -220, graded as a B- pick because the win probability is high but the juice trims the monetary upside. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 17/01/2026 10:24