The 2021-22 NHL season continues with three games on Wednesday, November 17, including the interconference clash at Staples Center in Los Angeles, so here are the best Capitals vs. Kings betting pick and odds. 

Washington meets Los Angeles for the first time since February 4, 2020, and the Capitals search for their fifth consecutive victory over the Kings. The Caps are listed as small -123 moneyline favorites on BetOnline Sportsbook, while the Kings are +111 home dogs with a total of 5.5 goals.

The Capitals play without rest

The Washington Capitals (9-2-4) started a four-game west-coast road trip on Tuesday night, and their clash against the Anaheim Ducks has been excluded from the analysis. The Caps were looking for their fifth consecutive victory, as they wrapped up the last week with a 6-1 thrashing of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Washington bagged a couple of goals in each period to satisfy -130 odds on the home ice. Six different players found the back of the net, while Vitek Vanecek made 24 saves to improve to 4-2-3 on the season. Vanecek owns a 2.34 GAA and a .912 save percentage, and he was expected to get another starting call Tuesday at Anaheim.

Ilya Samsonov, who’s 4-0-1 with a 2.93 GAA and a .894 save percentage in 2021-22, should patrol the crease at Staples Center on Wednesday. The Caps boast the third-best scoring defense in the NHL, allowing 2.40 goals per game, while their scoring offense ranks third in the league as well (3.60).

The Kings open a seven-game homestand  

The Los Angeles Kings (8-5-2) finished a four-game road trip this past Saturday. They also put an end to a seven-game winning streak, suffering a 3-2 overtime defeat at the Winnipeg Jets as +155 road underdogs.

The Kings blew a 2-1 third-period lead at Winnipeg, allowing the Jets to score shorthanded, while Mark Scheifele decided the winner after just 32 seconds of play in overtime. Carl Grundstrom and Brendan Lemieux found the back of the net for the Kings, who took six shots more than their rivals (29-23).

Cal Petersen posted 20 saves against the Jets and fell to 4-2-1 on the season. Jonathan Quick is expected to patrol the crease Wednesday against the Caps, and he’s 4-3-1 with a 1.98 GAA and a .935 save percentage this season. The Kings are yielding 2.47 goals per game (4th in the NHL) while tallying 2.73 in a return (23rd).

Trends:

Washington:

  • 1-3 in the last four games against the Western Conference

Los Angeles:

  • 7-1 in the last eight games overall
  • 5-2 in the last seven games at home

Washington Nationals vs. Los Angeles Kings Pick

It’s tough to go against this Washington team, but the Caps will have to deal with fatigue on the second day of a back-to-back set, so I’m backing the Kings to win at plus money. The Capitals are one of the best offensive teams in the league, no doubt, though they haven’t impressed with the man advantage (9-for-51), while the Kings are undefeated in four straight games with Jonathan Quick between the pipes.

The Kings are sixth in the league in shots on goal (514), but their shooting percentage of 8.0 ranks 25th in the NHL. Still, they’ve been solid as of late, tallying 23 goals during their seven-game win streak.

Pick: Take Los Angeles Kings at +111         

The Total:

I’m looking for another strong performance by Jonathan Quick, but the Capitals should have enough firepower to score a couple of goals. Washington owns the second-best shooting percentage in the league (11.5), while four of the Caps’ last six games produced seven or more goals in total.

Ilya Samsonov hasn’t been at his best so far this season, and the Capitals’ defense could easily struggle on the back end of a back-to-back set, so I’m going with the over on the totals.

Pick: Go over 5.5 goals at -115