Anaheim Ducks @ Los Angeles Kings - April 10, 2025

When the Anaheim Ducks take on the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena, there’s a palpable sense of rivalry in the air. Both teams are looking for crucial points as we approach the end of the season, and while the Kings may be positioned as favorites in this matchup, it’s important to analyze what’s been happening on both sides.

The Kings enter this contest with a record of 44-24-9, showcasing their competitive edge. However, they recently fell short against Seattle in a tight 2-1 game that can leave lingering doubts. Despite that loss, they’ve demonstrated resilience lately, going 4-1 straight up (SU) over their last five games and showing promising trends against the spread (ATS). They’re averaging about 2.9 goals per game and carrying a shooting percentage just above 11%, indicating that while they create opportunities, efficiency remains key.

On defense, LA has an impressive save percentage of 90.4% along with an effective penalty kill at 81.65%. This makes them tough to break down—something Anaheim will have to contend with if they want to pull off an upset tonight.

Conversely, the Ducks arrive with a record of 35-35-8 after securing a victory over Calgary in their last outing—a much-needed boost after some struggles this season. Anaheim’s offense is operating at roughly 2.7 goals per game but does so with slightly less precision than their rivals; they’re converting just under 10% of their shots into goals and sit lower on metrics like corsi percentage (46.935%) and offensive zone time (47.626%).

Defensively, though they’ve had moments of brilliance—their save percentage stands at around 90.2%—their penalty kill has been below par at just over 74%. This weakness could be critical against a team like LA who capitalizes on power plays effectively enough despite having only a modest success rate themselves (15.85%).

Now let’s get down to predictions: I’m predicting Los Angeles will emerge victorious tonight given their stronger overall performance metrics and home ice advantage—but don’t count out Anaheim completely; I believe they’ll cover the spread due to how closely contested these matchups tend to be historically.

Moreover, considering both teams’ recent scoring patterns—with six out of Anaheim’s last nine games going OVER—the expectation here would lean toward an UNDER outcome tonight given both teams’ defensive focus coupled with shaky special teams play from Anaheim.

In summary: Los Angeles likely takes home two points but expect a hard-fought battle where Anaheim covers the spread and total goals stay under expectations set by oddsmakers earlier in the week. Coaches always say it’s not about how you start but how you finish—and that’s especially true when it comes down to rivalries like these!