Sharks vs Kings Prediction, Pick & Odds for Sunday Night Hockey (Mar. 30)
By Chris Amberley in NHL Hockey
Published:
- The LA Kings are -360 moneyline favorites at home over the Sharks on Sunday Night Hockey
- Los Angeles owns the best home record in the league at 26-4-4
- See my Sharks vs Kings prediction and pick, plus the odds below
Two teams heading in opposite directions face-off Sunday night in LA. The Kings (40-23-9, 26-4-4 home) host the lowly San Jose Sharks (20-43-9, 8-20-7 away), looking to move past the Oilers for second place in the Pacific division. Online sportsbooks like LA’s chances, pegging them as sizeable home chalk in the NHL odds.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:10 pm PT / 10:10 pm ET, with ESPN providing the broadcast coverage.
Sharks vs Kings Prediction
My prediction is that this game flies over the total. San Jose has allowed the most goals in the West, and has an NHL worst -81 goal differential. They’ve coughed up 11 goals in their last two outings alone, and are on the second night of a back-to-back. Tired legs could be a factor, something that rears its ugly head most often in the defensive zone.
To make matters worse, they’re likely turning to a backup goaltender. Starter Alexander Georgiev has started the last three games, including last night’s blowout defeat to the Rangers.
Georgi Romanov is expected to draw the start as a result, which is great news for LA skaters. Romanov has a measly .875 save percentage this season in limited action. He’s an undrafted goaltender, and San Jose has thought so little of him, that they’ve used four other netminders ahead of him.
The Kings offense is by no means a juggernaut, but they do perform significantly better at home. They average 3.35 goals per game in LA, compared to just 2.42 goals on the road. The Kings boast a 12% shooting percentage in their own rink, which would rank fourth in the NHL extrapolated over an entire season.
Georgi Romanov vs David Rittich Stats
Romanov isn’t the only backup goalie expected to start on Sunday night. David Rittich will likely get the call for LA, and his numbers are far worse than starter Darcy Kuemper’s. Rittich’s goals against averaged is .67 points higher than Kuemper’s. His .884 save percentage is .35 points lower, ranking 46th overall compared to second for Kuemper.
Rittich hs started all three games versus the Sharks this season, with less than ideal results. He’s 1-2 overall, with a 4.04 GAA and .821 save percentage. The last time he faced San Jose he allowed 7 goals on 21 shots, in a lopsided 7-2 Sharks victory.
Macklin Celebrini scored twice in that matchup, and has 21 goals in his rookie campaign. He’s currently the favorite in the Calder Trophy odds, ahead of the Flyers Matvei Michkov. San Jose enters play as the second lowest scoring team in the West, but have averaged 4.6 goals per game versus LA this season.
Sharks vs Kings Pick
- Over 5.5 (-120) at Caesars
LA’s home prowess, combined with shaky goaltending situations on both sides, has me targeting over 5.5 goals as my Sharks vs Kings pick. LA is an NHL best 26-4-4 at home this season, and will be eager to bounce back after last night’s 3-1 loss to the Maple Leafs.
Prior to the loss versus Toronto, the Kings had scored 17 times in their previous three home games. Quinton Byfield has a team-high 8 goals this month, while Kevin Fiala and Anze Kopitar have 12 and 11 points in March a piece. Interestingly enough, that trio has combined for only 1 goal versus San Jose this season. I expect major positive regression for three of LA’s top four scorers, and wouldn’t hesitate to bet their overs in the NHL props market.
San Jose Sharks vs LA Kings Odds
The most favorable odds we can find on over 5.5 goals is -120 at Caesars. The Kings are lofty -360 moneyline favorites in this matchup, with the Sharks coming back as +285 underdogs.
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Odds as of March 30th at Caesars. Check out SBD’s Caesars Sportsbook review to see the available sign-up bonuses.
Per the NHL public betting trends, three of LA’s last four home games have exceeded the total, while seven of San Jose’s last 10 games have produced at least six goals.
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Sports Writer
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
