Los Angeles Kings vs Winnipeg Jets

Anze Kopitar’s day-to-day status hangs over this one as the Kings head to Winnipeg on the back of a 4-3 overtime loss in San Jose that snapped their mini two-game win streak, while the Jets limp in on an 11-game losing skid that has buried them at the bottom of the Central. With Trevor Moore on injured reserve and Joel Armia also banged up, Los Angeles is leaning even more on Adrian Kempe, Kevin Fiala, Quinton Byfield and a strong road profile (11-5-5) that underpins their dead-even 2.67 goals for and against per game; Winnipeg, already owning a 118-130 goal differential, is further thinned on the back end with Haydn Fleury on injured reserve after his recent upper-body/back scare. Historically, Kopitar has carved up the Jets (42 points in 38 games) and the Kings swept them by a combined 10-3 last season before Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck answered with a 3-2 Jets win in this building in October, so both cores know exactly where the matchup pressure points are. At the halfway mark of the season, the Kings’ 46 points keep them squarely in the Western wild-card race, whereas Winnipeg’s 35 points and deep skid make this more of a desperation spot than a true coin flip. Factoring in LA’s deeper two-way center depth, steadier team structure, and the Jets’ current spiral despite still having elite talent like Kyle Connor, Scheifele, Josh Morrissey and Hellebuyck available on the ESPN-listed active roster, I’m willing to lay the modest road price with Los Angeles; Moneyline Pick – Kings -125 grades out as a B, solid but not slam-dunk value. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 09/01/2026 09:28

With Winnipeg riding that 11-game skid, the story has been defensive leakage more than complete offensive collapse, which matters for the total: during this run the Jets have routinely allowed three or more while still getting contributions from Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele, and now they face a Kings team whose last three outings have all hit at least six combined goals. Los Angeles’ season-long numbers are more controlled (2.67 goals for and against per game), but their recent form has opened up, and they still generate plenty through Fiala, Kempe and Byfield even if Kopitar isn’t 100 percent, while the Jets’ overall ledger of 118 goals scored and 130 allowed underscores how often their games tilt into higher totals despite having a Vezina/Hart-caliber goaltender in Hellebuyck. Recent head-to-heads add some nuance — last season’s Kings sweep stayed lower scoring in aggregate, but this year’s first meeting finished 3-2 with 35 shots for LA and 33 for Winnipeg, suggesting more offense was available than the final tally showed. At roughly the midway point of the schedule, both teams should be pushing: the Kings to bank points in a tight Pacific and the Jets to show some life before they’re completely out of the Western race, which usually favors a more aggressive game state late if either side is trailing. Given Winnipeg’s current defensive fragility, LA’s ability to roll three scoring lines off an ESPN-confirmed healthy core outside of a couple of key absences, and the likelihood that the Jets’ stars still scratch out goals at home, I lean to Over 5.5 at -125, but with the juice and Hellebuyck’s ceiling it only earns a B- grade. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 09/01/2026 09:28

The Kings look like the better side right now, but the way Winnipeg has been losing makes the +1.5 puckline more interesting than the moneyline for the Jets: a big chunk of their 11 straight defeats have come by a single goal, including consecutive 4-3 and 3-2 setbacks, which reflects a team that is structurally frayed but still competitive shift-to-shift behind top-end pieces like Hellebuyck, Morrissey, Scheifele and Connor on the current ESPN roster. Los Angeles brings clear edges in form, goal differential and road record, yet they are not a front-foot offensive juggernaut — their 2.67 goals scored per game and reliance on tight-checking, Doughty-led minutes often produce one-goal margins, and we’ve already seen them on the wrong side of a 3-2 decision in this building earlier this season. With the Jets’ blue line dinged by Haydn Fleury’s absence but still reasonably deep, and with Hellebuyck more than capable of stealing a low-event night even against a Kings lineup missing Trevor Moore and monitoring Kopitar’s health, a blowout is hardly a given, especially in a building where Winnipeg traditionally plays with more pace. From a macro standpoint, LA will happily bank two points any way they can to stay in the West playoff mix, while the Jets — already well behind the pace — simply need something positive, which often translates into late-game risk that still preserves a one-goal final more often than not. Because the price on Jets +1.5 is steep at -225 and conflicts somewhat with my preference for the Kings to win outright, I’ll still side with Winnipeg on the puckline but only at a C+ grade: reasonably likely to cash, but with limited upside relative to the risk. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 09/01/2026 09:28