Lightning vs Kings Picks and Prediction – 1/5/2025

The Tampa Bay Lightning are heading to Crypto.com Arena on Saturday, where they will take on Los Angeles Kings. Get the rest of our free NHL picks here! Tampa Bay currently sits fourth in the Atlantic division, entering this weekend with a 20-13-2 record. The Lightning have dropped consecutive games, most recently suffering a 2-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday. Andrei Vasilevskiy will be Tampa Bay’s starting goaltender on Saturday, he’s posted a 2.38 goals against average to go along with his 16-11-1 record. Tampa Bay is the highest scoring team in the NHL at 3.86 goals per game, while giving up just 2.8 defensively.

The Los Angeles Kings now sit second in the Pacific, putting together a record of 22-10-5. The Kings are riding a three game win streak, most recently earning a 3-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night. Darcy Kuemper earned a 33 save shutout against the Devils, while Adrian Kempe buried his 18th goal of the season. Darcy Kuemper will return as the Kings’ starting goaltender in this game, he’s posted a 2.29 goals against average to go along with his 10-2-5 record. 37-year-old Anze Kopitar leads Los Angeles with 39 points through 37 games, while Adrian Kempe has scored a team-leading 18 goals. The Kings have been a defensive oriented squad this season, as they allow just 2.54 goals per game.

Los Angeles will search for their fourth straight win on Saturday, while Tampa Bay looks to shake off consecutive losses. Darcy Kuemper has been amazing through his first 17 games as a King, expect his play to lead Los Angeles to the win. Final score prediction, Los Angeles wins and covers the spread 4-2.