by Rod Pearson
Thursday, Mar 12, 2026
Game Time: 7:00 pm ET, Friday, March 13, 2026
Venue: UBS Arena, Elmont, NY
Where to Watch: ESPN+
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Moneyline: Kings +114, Islanders -135; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
Bet365: Moneyline: Kings +115, Islanders -135; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
BetMGM: Moneyline: Kings +115, Islanders -135; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
Season Record
Los Angeles Kings: 26-23-15 (5th place, Pacific Division)
New York Islanders: 37-23-5 (3rd place, Metropolitan Division)
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Recent Form
Los Angeles Kings: 3-6-1 last 10
New York Islanders: 7-3-0 last 10
Los Angeles Kings vs New York Islanders Preview and Analysis
The Kings are entering this game with 67 points, a 26-23-15 record overall, and they are 16-8-8 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the Boston Bruins in their last game, losing that one on the road 2-1 in overtime. Drew Doughty scored 1 goal for them in that one. Adrian Kempe and Trevor Moore each led the team in assists with 1 while Trevor Moore led the team in shots on net in that game with 4. Darcy Kuemper was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 2 goals on 23 shots with 21 saves and a .913 save percentage. Their offense has scored 169 goals this season averaging 2.6 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 192 goals against them allowing 3 goals per game.
The Islanders are entering this game with 79 points, a 37-23-5 record overall, and they are 17-10-2 in their home 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 4-3 in overtime. Mathew Barzal, Calum Ritchie, Bo Horvat, and Jean-Gabriel Pageau each scored 1 goal for them in that one. Mathew Barzal led the team in assists with 2 while Bo Horvat led the team in shots on net in that game with 9. Ilya Sorokin was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 3 goals on 23 shots with 20 saves and a .870 sv percentage. Their offense has scored 192 goals this season averaging 3 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 186 goals against them allowing 2.9 goals per game.
Kings vs Islanders Prediction
The current betting odds have the Islanders listed as a favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Islanders have looked good in their games this season with their 37-23-5 record overall which has them in the top half of their division in the East. They have looked good on home ice too with their 17-10-2 home record this season. Meanwhile, the Kings haven't looked good in their games this season with their 26-23-15 record overall which has them in the bottom half of their division in the West. They have been a good road team too with their 16-8-8 road record this year. The Kings have had a lot of trouble this season as they haven't really been in the playoff race all year. They still have a chance to get in the Wild Card race, but they are off a 2-1 loss to the Bruins in their last one and haven't looked great lately either. They are 3-6-1 in their last 10 games and they have had a big issue finding the net in their games all season. They definitely aren't the team that they were last season and now they are running into a red hot Islanders team. The Islanders have been rolling in their games lately, going 7-3-0 in their last 10 games and winning 2 games in a row now. They are off a win over the Blues in their last one and they have had a solid defense all season, not giving up many goals. They have been rolling, but their last loss was actually on the road against this same Kings team last week, so the Islanders are going to be looking to get them back at home, especially since the Kings have taken a bit of a dive since then. The best way to place a bet here is on the Islanders to win this game.
Kings Islanders Prediction: Our NHL Pick for Friday, March 13, 2026 (7:00 pm ET start time) is Islanders 3 Kings 1.
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NHL Betting Trends
Los Angeles Kings: 26-38 (-21.3 units) on the moneyline in all games. 11-15 (-6.3 units) on the moneyline in non-conference games. 12-18 (-11.3 units) on the moneyline after playing a road game. 11-3 UNDER as a road underdog of +100 to +200. 14-6 UNDER in a road game where the total is 5.5.
New York Islanders: 37-28 (+10.8 units) on the moneyline in all games. 20-15 (+6.2 units) on the moneyline revenging a loss versus opponent as a favorite. 21-14 (+10.2 units) on the moneyline after playing a road game. 10-3 UNDER after playing 3 consecutive road games.
Key Injuries
Los Angeles Kings: J. Armia (RW) Out - Upper Body. A. Kuzmenko (LW) Out - Meniscus. K. Fiala (LW) Out For Season - Leg.
New York Islanders: K. Palmieri (C) Out - Knee. A. Romanov (D) Out For Season - Upper-body. P. Engvall (LW) Out - Ankle. S. Varlamov (G) Out - Knee.
Notable Quotes
“It obviously wasn’t a high-scoring game. It was tight-checking and both teams were competing really hard. We would’ve liked to have come out with two points, but we can take a lot of good things from that game." - Drew Doughty after his team’s loss against the Bruins in their game on Tuesday.
“That was a phenomenal goal. What a move he put out there and then the shot, the quality of the shot right in the corner. A very good shot.” - Patrick Roy after his team’s win against the Blues in their game on Tuesday.
Starting Lineups
Los Angeles Kings
LW Artemi Panarin
C Anze Kopitar
RW Adrian Kempe
LD Mikey Anderson
RD Drew Doughty
G Darcy Kuemper
New York Islanders
LW Emil Heineman
C Bo Horvat
RW Calum Ritchie
LD Matthew Schaefer
RD Ryan Pulock
G Ilya Sorokin
Statistical Leaders
Los Angeles Kings
Points: Adrian Kempe (56)
Goals: Adrian Kempe (25)
Assists: Adrian Kempe (31)
GAA: Darcy Kuemper (2.70)
New York Islanders
Points: Mathew Barzal (60)
Goals: Bo Horvat (28)
Assists: Mathew Barzal (42)
GAA: Ilya Sorokin (2.51)
Coaches:
Los Angeles Kings: D.J. Smith (Interim)
New York Islanders: Patrick Roy (3rd 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.
