Kings have allowed the third-fewest goals this season and will look to take advantage among Sunday's Best Bets for the afternoon slate
Sunday afternoon has a pair of great matchups for hockey fans, who can get their day started with some NHL action and will have sports bettors looking to capitalize and start their Sunday on the right foot. The most intriguing matchups look to be Coyotes looking to continue their success after breaking their lengthy losing streak when they take on the Capitals and the Devils look to pierce the Kings tight defense in one of the closest matchups on the slate.
It could be an exciting Sunday of NHL action and if you want to get in on all the action, here's a breakdown of the matchups with some insights for potential betting opportunities that could win you some cash.
All betting lines are from Bet365 and are subject to change. Please gamble responsibly
Arizona Coyotes @ Washington Capitals
The Coyotes finally ended their dreaded losing streak at 14 games against the Sens last Friday and now look to continue their momentum against a Capitals team, who they demolished 6-0 in their previous meeting, last December. It’ll be tough as the Capitals have been rolling lately with a 6-2-2 record over their last ten games.
They aren’t a great scoring team however, as they average just 2.73 goals per home game that ranks bottom five in the league. The Coyotes haven’t done much scoring lately either with a 2.58 goals per game average since mid-January but have a history of scoring when playing in Washington with three or more goals in three of their last four games in the nation’s capital.
They will want to keep their momentum going and should see some success with the Capitals starting Darcy Kuemper in net. The Saskatoon native has allowed three or more goals in four straight starts and two of his last three starts against the Coyotes when playing with Washington.
Pick: Coyotes over 2.5 goals (-145)
New Jersey Devils @ Los Angeles Kings
The Kings have had an elite defensive unit for most of the season with the third-fewest goals against this season with just 156 getting past David Rittich and company. The Devils have seen a slew of injuries and even with star forward Jack Hughes returning, they’ve still struggled to score with a 2.92 goals per game average since his return that ranks 22nd in the league during that span.
These two have seen high-scoring games as of late with seven or more goals in two of their last three matchups but when you look back into their history, they have gone under the seven goal mark more often with nine of their last 12 matchups going under seven goals. New Jersey will also start young netminder Nico Daws, who hasn’t been at his best lately with a goals against average of 3.65 and a save percentage of .877 in his last 12 starts. The Kings defense should shut down the Devils and find a way to get past Daws and end up with the victory.
Pick: Kings ML (-130), Under 6.5 goals (-115)