by Rod Pearson
Monday, Jan 26, 2026
Game Time: 7:00 pm ET, Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Venue: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
Where to Watch: ESPN+
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Moneyline: Kings +114, Red Wings -135; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
Bet365: Moneyline: Kings +115, Red Wings -135; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
BetMGM: Moneyline: Kings +115, Red Wings -135; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
Season Record
Los Angeles Kings: 21-16-13 (5th place, Pacific Division)
Detroit Red Wings: 32-16-5 (1st place, Atlantic Division)
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Recent Form
Los Angeles Kings: 4-2-4 last 10
Detroit Red Wings: 8-1-1 last 10
Los Angeles Kings vs Detroit Red Wings Preview and Analysis
The Kings are entering this game with 55 points, a 21-16-13 record overall, and they are 13-6-6 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the St Louis Blues in their last game, winning that one on the road 5-4 in a shootout. Alex Laferriere, Brian Dumoulin, Taylor Ward, and Trevor Moore each scored 1 goal for them in that one. Alex Laferriere, Adrian Kempe, Brandt Clarke, Corey Perry, Jeff Malott, Joel Armia, Mikey Anderson, and Samuel Helenius each led the team in assists with 1 while Trevor Moore led the team in shots on net in that game with 5. Darcy Kuemper was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 4 goals on 29 shots with 25 saves and a .862 save percentage. Their offense has scored 134 goals this season averaging 2.7 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 143 goals against them allowing 2.9 goals per game.
The Red Wings are entering this game with 69 points, a 32-16-5 record overall, and they are 18-8-1 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the Winnipeg Jets in their last game, winning that one on the road 5-1. J. T. Compher led the team in goals scored with 2 while Lucas Raymond, Marco Kasper, and Alex DeBrincat each scored 1 goal for them in that one. Andrew Copp led the team in assists with 2 while J. T. Compher and Alex DeBrincat each led the team in shots on net in that game with 4. John Gibson was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 1 goal on 27 shots with 26 saves and a .963 sv percentage. Their offense has scored 167 goals this season averaging 3.2 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 159 goals against them allowing 3 goals per game.
Kings vs Red Wings Prediction
The current betting odds have the Red Wings listed as a favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Red Wings have looked great in their games this season with their 32-16-5 record overall which has them right at the top of their division in the East. They have looked great on home ice too with their 18-8-1 home record this season. Meanwhile, the Kings haven't looked great in their games this season with their 21-16-13 record overall which has them in the bottom half of their division in the West. They have been a good road team though with their 13-6-6 road record this year. The Kings have been a better road team this year which is a big change from last season when they were terrible in road games. They have still been really up and down this season though, and they haven't looked good lately as they are 4-2-4 in their last 10 games. The Red Wings have been rolling though as they are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games and they are off a 5-1 win over the Jets in their last one. They have been one of the best teams in the East this season and they have been a lot more consistent than the Kings have been all season. The Kings don't give up a ton of goals in their games, but they don't score a lot of goals either and lately they haven't been finding the net a ton. The Red Wings have been rolling though and they have a really good offense that has been finding the net this season. The Red Wings are the hotter team coming into this one and they have looked great on home ice this year, but they are also just the better team overall and should have no issues putting away a struggling Kings team that hasn't looked great lately. The best way to place a bet here is on the Red Wings to win this game.
Kings Red Wings Prediction: Our NHL Pick for Tuesday, January 27, 2026 (7:00 pm ET start time) is Red Wings 3 Kings 2.
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NHL Betting Trends
Los Angeles Kings: 115-109 (-31.3 units) on the moneyline in all games. 20-34 (-11.2 units) on the moneyline as an underdog of +100 to +150. 53-51 (-10.9 units) on the moneyline revenging a loss versus opponent as a favorite. 25-11 UNDER as a road underdog of +100 to +150.
Detroit Red Wings: 112-105 (+13.4 units) on the moneyline in all games. 45-26 (+8.3 units) on the moneyline as a favorite of -200 or less. 60-50 (+13.7 units) on the moneyline off a win in their previous game. 6-1 UNDER after playing 3 consecutive road games.
Key Injuries
Los Angeles Kings: A. Kopitar (C) Day To Day - Lower Body.
Detroit Red Wings: S. Edvinsson (D) Day To Day - Lower-body.
Notable Quotes
“We started good, but that second period with three goals allowed in a short amount of time was really disappointing. We made mistakes, we gave them three, but I really liked the push back after that to tie it was important, and I thought the third period was our best period. They scored one late but the third period, we had chances. It was nice to see the one go in to get us ahead.” - Jim Hiller after his team’s win against the Blues in their game on Saturday.
“I think J.T. is a little bit like a Swiss Army knife. You can use him in a lot of different situations. He’s a good right-handed face-off guy, fairly responsible defensively. We use him penalty-killing, and a little bit of power-play time, and we’d like to see him get rewarded. He’s had so many chances lately and it finally went in for him tonight. Those were big goals to get us even, get us the lead, and we could play from there.” - Todd McLellan after his team’s win against the Jets in their game on Saturday.
Starting Lineups
Los Angeles Kings
LW Corey Perry
C Alex Laferriere
RW Adrian Kempe
LD Mikey Anderson
RD Drew Doughty
G Darcy Kuemper
Detroit Red Wings
LW Marco Kasper
C Dylan Larkin
RW Lucas Raymond
LD Ben Chiarot
RD Moritz Seider
G John Gibson
Statistical Leaders
Los Angeles Kings
Points: Adrian Kempe (39)
Goals: Kevin Fiala (18)
Assists: Adrian Kempe (22)
GAA: Darcy Kuemper (2.56)
Detroit Red Wings
Points: Lucas Raymond (58)
Goals: Alex DeBrincat (27)
Assists: Lucas Raymond (40)
GAA: John Gibson (2.62)
Coaches:
Los Angeles Kings: Jim Hiller (3rd season)
Detroit Red Wings: Todd McLellan (2nd season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
