by Chuck Sommers
Sunday, Nov 21, 2021
Time: 10 p.m. ET
Venue: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Where to watch: Bally Sports West, Bally Sports Arizona+, ESPN+
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Kings -220, Coyotes +180
BetMGM: Kings -227, Coyotes +185
Caesars: Kings -222, Coyotes +180
Season record
Coyotes: 3-13-2
Kings: 8-7-2
Al McMordie has been killing it on the hockey rink over the last month, going 13-5-0 and reeling in a net profit of $6,180 in those 18 games. You don’t want to miss what Big Al will bring to the table this week at the rink. Catch Al’s and other plays available right now at the Shop Picks page, where you can find all of the Best Bets from our champion sports handicappers.
Coyotes - Kings preview and analysis
Recent form
Coyotes: 3-6-1 in last 10; won 2-1 (OT) vs. Red Wings on Saturday
Kings: 7-2-1 in last 10; lost 5-4 vs. Hurricanes on Saturday
Is today the day the Arizona Coyotes put together a winning streak?
We’ll find that out Sunday when the Coyotes travel to Los Angeles to take on the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center, AKA Crypto.com Arena come December.
What a name that’ll be.
Both teams are playing the second halves of back-to-backs, but it was the Coyotes being the lone winners on Saturday, 2-1 in overtime at home against the Detroit Red Wings.
Clayton Keller scored the game-winning goal 25 seconds into sudden death for Arizona’s third win on the entire season (3-13-2). Ryan Dzingel scored the tying goal at 13:31 of the second period; the scoring was limited for a majority of the game due to Dylan Larkin scoring at 8:41 of the first frame.
Scott Wedgewood had his best game of the season stopping 33 of 34 shots for his second consecutive win. He got the win on Nov. 16 against the St. Louis Blues making 34 saves and made 42 in a 5-4 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday.
Arizona is on a good string of hockey, something that won’t entirely last given how the Coyotes have started.
The Kings, however, are in that weird phase of ‘Are we supposed to be good, or not?’
L.A. has lost three straight after its impressive seven-game winning streak and is coming off a 5-4 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes at home on Saturday. Adrian Kempe scored twice, Alex Edler had two assists and Brendan Lemieux also chipped in with a goal and an assist.
The Kings just didn’t get a good run from their soon-to-be No. 1 goalie in Cal Petersen; he made just 15 saves and gave up those five goals within the first two periods.
"It was a little too loose for us," Kings forward Blake Lizotte said. "Kind of racehorse hockey, trading chances back and forth, and that's not typically our identity."
Despite the fact the Kings outshot Carolina 20-2 in the third period, that was a testament to how good Frederik Andersen was with 39 saves on 43 shots. You can hear Toronto Maple Leafs fans now screaming “It’s only the regular season!”
Prediction
The road team has won nine of the last 10 meetings with the underdog going 4-1 in the last five. That’s not even mentioning that the Coyotes are 4-1 in their last five against Los Angeles. In all likelihood, the Coyotes will be going to rookie goalie Karel Vejmelka. The problem with that is he’s allowed nine goals in his last two starts. With the Kings, it comes down to which Jonathan Quick you’re getting in this matchup? I trust the veteran to make things happen and get a win over a team that’s traveling from the night before. Getting in the win column will not be easy for the Coyotes. Kings win 4-3
Betting trends
The over is 4-0 in the Coyotes’ last four following a win.
The under, however, is 7-0 in the Coyotes’ last seven as a road dog.
The Coyotes have lost eight of nine in the fourth game of a 4-of-6 situation.
The under is 12-3 in the Kings’ last 15 home games.
The underdog has won four of the last five meetings.
Projected lines
Coyotes:
Lawson Crouse -- Travis Boyd -- Clayton Keller
Alex Galchenyuk -- Barrett Hayton -- Phil Kessel
Antoine Roussel -- Jay Beagle -- Loui Eriksson
Hudson Fasching -- Ryan Dzingel -- Liam O'Brien
Shayne Gostisbehere -- Dysin Mayo
Jakob Chychrun -- Ilya Lyubushkin
Kyle Capobianco -- Cam Dineen
Karel Vejmelka
Kings:
Viktor Arvidsson -- Anze Kopitar -- Adrian Kempe
Alex Iafallo -- Phillip Danault -- Andreas Athanasiou
Trevor Moore -- Rasmus Kupari -- Dustin Brown
Brendan Lemieux -- Blake Lizotte -- Arthur Kaliyev
Alexander Edler -- Matt Roy
Tobias Bjornfot -- Mikey Anderson
Olli Maatta -- Kale Clague
Jonathan Quick
Statistical leaders
Coyotes:
Points: Shayne Gostisbehere -- 13
Goals: Lawson Crouse -- 5
Assists: Shayne Gostisbehere -- 11
TOI: Jakob Chychrun -- 25:09
Goalie: Scott Wedgewood -- 3-1-1, 2.04 GAA, .940 SV%
Kings:
Points: Anze Kopitar -- 17
Goals: Anze Kopitar -- 8
Assists: Anze Kopitar -- 9
TOI: Drew Doughty -- 22:37
Goalie: Jonathan Quick -- 4-4-1, 1.88 GAA, .940 SV%
Don't miss our champion handicappers' free picks and expert hockey picks today. And if you enjoyed this Arizona Coyotes - LA Kings prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our daily NHL projections and previews.
Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
