Golden Knights vs Kings

Jack Eichel and the Vegas Golden Knights roll into Crypto.com Arena having taken four of their last five, while the Kings have managed just two wins over that same stretch and continue to wobble in a tightly packed Pacific playoff race. With Vegas sitting atop the division and Los Angeles hovering in the wild-card chase, this is close to a four-point swing, but the Kings are severely compromised down the middle with Anze Kopitar and Trevor Moore on injured reserve and Joel Armia listed day-to-day, stripping them of both playmaking and matchup flexibility in a fixture where Kopitar has historically driven strong results against Vegas. Vegas isn’t perfectly healthy either, with Brett Howden and Brandon Saad sidelined, yet their forward depth of Eichel, Tomas Hertl, Mark Stone and new addition Mitch Marner, backed by a blue line led by Shea Theodore and Noah Hanifin plus a solid Hill/Hart goaltending tandem, still looks deeper and sharper than a Kings group now leaning heavily on Adrian Kempe, Kevin Fiala and Quinton Byfield to carry the offense. Recent seasons have tilted toward Los Angeles in this matchup when fully loaded, but with Kopitar out and Vegas generating more consistent scoring, the Golden Knights at roughly -118 on the moneyline are a justifiable road favorite; the edge isn’t massive in a divisional game, yet the combination of current form, injury situation and superior offensive ceiling nudges this into “playable” territory. I’m backing Vegas Golden Knights -118 on the moneyline, grading it a B: reasonably likely to cash with a modest but fair return for the risk in a game where Vegas’ structural advantages should show over 60 minutes. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 14/01/2026 09:31.([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nhl/team/roster/_/name/vgk/vegas-golden-knights))

The total is sitting at 5.5 with the Over priced around -120 and the Under near +100, and the matchup profile leans slightly toward goals despite the Kings missing key forwards. Vegas is averaging more than three goals per game and has recently hung crooked numbers like a 7-spot on San Jose, with Eichel, Stone, Hertl, Marner and Shea Theodore all driving offense from different layers of the lineup, while their overall O/U record skews marginally to the Over; Los Angeles scores less on the season but has seen more high-event games of late and still ices legitimate finishing talent in Kempe, Fiala and Byfield. Kopitar’s absence does lower the Kings’ offensive ceiling, yet it also removes one of their best defensive centers and penalty-killers, which can paradoxically open things up defensively against a Vegas team that thrives on turnovers and extended offensive-zone time, particularly if the Kings are forced to lean on depth centers in tough matchups. With both sides dressing multiple scoring lines and Vegas’ power play in good form against a Kings PK that loses structure without Kopitar, there are enough paths to six or more goals—from a Vegas spike performance to late empty-net scenarios in a critical divisional game—to make Over 5.5 at roughly -120 the preferred side. I’ll grade this total a B-: the juice is a bit heavy and low-scoring goaltender duels are always a risk at 5.5, but the combination of Vegas’ firepower, Los Angeles’ lineup holes and recent scoring trends offers a modest edge and acceptable upside. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 14/01/2026 09:31.([sportsinsider.com](https://www.sportsinsider.com/nhl/odds/2474319-vgk-vs-la?utm_source=openai))

On the puckline, Vegas -1.5 is paying in the +220 to +225 range against a Kings side that has been inconsistent at home and now lacks its long-time matchup ace in Kopitar, creating a realistic—if volatile—path to a multi-goal result when combined with the Knights’ current scoring surge. Vegas has won four of its last five and just routed San Jose 7-2, showcasing how dangerous their top nine can be when they get rolling, and if they play from ahead here, Los Angeles’ thinner center group and shaky recent form leave them vulnerable to late insurance and empty-netters in what is effectively a must-have divisional game for both from a playoff-seeding standpoint. The Kings’ historical success versus Vegas, including multiple high-scoring wins last season, does add risk to laying the goals, but much of that edge was driven by Kopitar’s two-way dominance and better health than they enjoy tonight, while Vegas now counter-attacks with an even deeper skill core and multiple offensive defensemen capable of stretching a tired home team. Given that the standard moneyline already asks you to pay into the mid -100s, the puckline is a higher-variance way to leverage Vegas’ offensive ceiling and Los Angeles’ current injury issues at an attractive plus-money price, albeit with a significantly lower hit rate than the straight win. I’ll grade Vegas -1.5 (+225) a C+: the payout is enticing relative to the risk profile and could be worth a small, supplemental stake alongside a primary moneyline position, but it’s not strong enough to stand alone as a top play. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 14/01/2026 09:31.([sportsinsider.com](https://www.sportsinsider.com/nhl/odds/2474319-vgk-vs-la?utm_source=openai))