Canucks or Kings in Tuesday Night Showdown?

What: Canucks vs Kings
When: Tuesday, March 5th, 10:30 PM ET
Where: Crypto.com Arena

Tuesday evening brings a classic Pacific Division matchup as the first-place Vancouver Canucks hit the road to face the Los Angeles Kings. The puck is scheduled to drop at 10:30 PM ET at Crypto.com Arena. Vancouver is coming off a 2-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday and will remain in Southern California for this matchup. LA meanwhile took down the New Jersey Devils by a score of 5-1 over the weekend. They'll be looking to make it three victories in a row here. Continue reading for the Canucks vs Kings picks.

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Canucks vs Kings Odds

Team
Vancouver Canucks	+100	+100	-105
LA Kings	-113	-115	-115

The Kings are the favorite at most sportsbooks, sitting at -113 odds for an implied win probability of 53.05%. The Canucks come back at +100 and have a 50% chance of taking this one. Los Angeles just hammered Vancouver 5-1 last Thursday, which probably has something to do with their odds. In fact, the Kings have actually won three straight against the Nucks, outscoring them 12-2 in the process.

Are The Canucks For Real?

While it remains to be seen if Vancouver can contend for a Stanley Cup, they've definitely proven themselves in the regular season. After a few difficult years, the Canucks are the cream of the crop in the league with a ridiculously talented core at the forefront. Vancouver is on track to win the Western Conference and could possibly even win the Presidents' Trophy, which is awarded to the organization with the most points before the playoffs. The Nucks own a 39-17-7 record, putting them first in the Pacific Division and the West as a whole.

Rich Tocchet's squad is top-10 in nearly every notable category. They're scoring 3.56 goals per contest which ranks third while allowing only 2.76 goals. That's sixth in the NHL. Leading the way offensively is JT Miller, who has 30 goals and 65 assists in 63 games played. Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes have both tallied over 70 points apiece, too. Others who are consistent producers include Brock Boeser, Filip Hronek, and recently acquired Elias Lindholm. However, the Canucks are in a bit of a rut at the moment, going just 4-5-1 in their last 10 contests and only winning two of the last eight. This can definitely be considered a rut.

On a more positive note, Vancouver managed to get a much-needed W on Sunday versus the lowly Ducks. Nils Hoglander scored the first in the opening period before Conor Garland netted the winner in the second period. Casey DeSmith made 18 saves in between the posts. Tuesday will not be an easy matchup for the Canucks, who tend to struggle against the Kings. But, even with a nine-point lead at the top of the Pacific, they must keep their foot on the gas pedal as the regular season draws to a close.

Kings Staying Afloat

Los Angeles always seems to find themselves in contention in the Pacific, one of the more difficult divisions in the league. The Kings are currently fourth and only four points behind the Oilers in second, compiling a 31-19-10 record. LA is also playing well in recent weeks, going 7-3 in their previous 10 appearances. There is no better time to get hot. Phillip Danault was the main catalyst against New Jersey the other night, scoring a hat-trick to lead the charge. Kevin Fiala also scored and had two assists. The Kings really took it to the Devils, leading 4-1 by the end of the second period.

Offense hasn't been all that consistent for Los Angeles, though. They're 18th in scoring but remain stout defensively, allowing the third-fewest goals per night of any team in the NHL. Fiala is the main man offensively, scoring 19 and supplying 36 assists in 60 games. Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar both have more than 50 points as well, but Kempe has been sidelined for a couple of weeks due to an upper-body injury.

Tuesday marks the second contest of a five-game homestand for the Kings, who have a 12-10-6 record at Crypto.com. LA tends to play a lot better on the road, but it's hard to ignore their sheer dominance of the Canucks. We'll see if it can continue.

Canucks vs Kings Picks

It's only a matter of time until the Canucks start winning consistently again and although they've had their issues with the Kings, I do think they will avenge the loss last week at Rogers Arena and take this one. Hammer the moneyline.

Canucks moneyline Vs Kings

1.19

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