This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
NHL Bets Today: Expert NHL Picks and Props for Predators 
at Kings 
The Nashville Predators (24-19-1) make the second stop on a three-game road trip against the Los Angeles Kings (21-12-8) on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Puck drop is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed on ESPN+/hulu.
The Predators stubbed their toe on The Strip against the Vegas Golden Knights to open the quick three-game trip, falling 4-1 on Monday afternoon as the Under (5.5) connected. That power outage on offense snapped a eight-game road with three or more goals, and the single goal was the lowest production since Nashville was blanked 4-0 in Toronto by the Maple Leafs on Nov. 9.
The Kings were on the short end of a 5-1 score in Dallas on Tuesday, falling in the second end of a back-to-back after dumping the Hurricanes in Carolina on Monday night. The win over the Canes was a rarity, as Los Angeles is just 1-5-4 across the past 10 outings, picking up six points out of a possible 20 points available.
These teams met three times last season, with Nashville picking up a pair of victories, including a 2-1 shootout win in the only visit to Crypto.com Arena as a moderate underdog (+170). The Under (6) cashed in that game, too, snapping a 4-0 Over run in the series.
Juuse Saros (17-16-1, 3.02 GAA, .900 SV%, 2 SO) is projected to guard the crease for the visitors, while the home side is expected to counter with Cam Talbot (14-11-5, 2.43 GAA, .915 SV%, 2 SO).
Saros has actually been slightly better, statistically, on the road. He has a 2.95 GAA and a .906 SV% in 12 starts away from the Music City, while posting a 3.07 GAA and .896 SV% in 22 home assignments.
Talbot has a 2.56 GAA and .908 SV% in 13 home starts, while producing better numbers on the road with a 2.34 GAA and .920 SV% in 16 road outings. So advantage to the road team? The road team is 3-2 in the past five meetings in this series, with the underdog cashing in two of the past three.
The thinking here is to roll with the moderate underdogs straight up, as being a little more conservative with a Nashville play on the puck line as a 'dog is just too cost-prohibitive.
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NHL Money Line Bets for Predators at Kings
- Predators ML (+138 at FanDuel)
Looking at the total, the Under has hit in the past two games for the Predators, although the Over is 4-2 across the past six games overall.
For the Kings, the Under has a slight 3-2 edge across the past five outings, although the total has gone low in 10 of the previous 15 contests overall.
Los Angeles is decent on offense, ranking 10th in the NHL with 3.3 GPG, while checking in middle of the road on the power play at 21.1%, good for 16th. Defensively, it is still 2nd in the league with 2.5 GPG allowed, while ranking No. 1 on the penalty kill at 87.1%.
Nashville is so-so offensively, ranking in the bottom half of the league with the same 21.1% mark on the man advantage, and 17th with 3.2 GPG. Defensively, the Preds haven't been great, allowing 3.1 GPG to rank 18th, while the kill is only 25th with a 76.8% success rate.
The lean is to go low on the total, but play a half-unit at most. It's best to shop around and find a flat six, instead of a 5.5 number, even if you have to pay a little more juice for the insurance.
NHL Totals Bets for Predators at Kings
- Under 6 (-110 at Caesars)
NHL Player Props for Predators at Kings
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For the visitors, let's look at the shots on goal (SOG) for forward Filip Forsberg. He has posted five or more SOG in three of the past four games, and four or more SOG in four of the past five outings. Looking over the long term, Forsberg is good for four or more SOG in eight of the past 12 games, or 66.7% of those contests dating back to Dec. 21. As such, going high on his SOG total is a strong play.
- Filip Forsberg Over 3.5 SOG (-120 at BetMGM)
As far as the home side is concerned, nobody has really been on a hot streak lately. However, veteran pivot Phillip Danault has amassed two goals and eight points with a plus-3 rating and two power-play points across the past six outings. It's rather surprising to see him at near even-money to simply notch a single point. Take advantage.
- Phillip Danault Over 0.5 Points (-110 at BetMGM)
