Dallas Stars @ Los Angeles Kings - December 4, 2024

As the Dallas Stars prepare to face off against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena, there’s plenty of data to dissect that could provide insights into how this matchup might unfold. Both teams come into this game riding three-game winning streaks, which adds an extra layer of intrigue.

Starting with the offensive stats, the Stars have been slightly more potent than the Kings this season. Dallas averages 3.4 goals per game and generates about 30.3 shots, boasting a shooting percentage of 11.8%. In contrast, Los Angeles scores 3.0 goals per game on roughly 28.2 shots with a shooting percentage of 11.2%. This slight edge in scoring and shot generation suggests that Dallas has a marginally better offensive capability heading into this matchup.

When it comes to special teams, both squads have shown promise but also areas for improvement. The Stars convert on approximately 17.9% of their power play opportunities and average about 0.57 power play goals per game from around 3.25 chances. Meanwhile, the Kings sit at a lower power play conversion rate of just 16.4%, scoring an average of nearly half a goal per game on nearly three chances.

Defensively, both teams are strong but again show some differences in effectiveness. The Stars lead with an impressive save percentage of 90.8% and an even stronger penalty kill rate at over 82%. On the other hand, while Los Angeles is respectable with an 88.9% save percentage and an effective penalty kill rate of 80%, they lag behind Dallas in both metrics.

Given these statistics and recent performances—Dallas has won four out of its last five games while Los Angeles has also been solid—the match will likely hinge on which team can maintain its defensive structure while capitalizing on scoring opportunities.

Betting lines opened with Dallas as slight favorites at -111 against LA’s -116 moneyline odds; however, I see value in favoring Dallas not only to win but also to cover the spread tonight based on their superior overall metrics across offense and defense.

Furthermore, considering that both teams have demonstrated strong defensive capabilities recently—particularly evidenced by Los Angeles’ trend toward lower-scoring affairs (the total has gone UNDER in five out of their last seven games)—I predict that this contest will also end up being low-scoring.

In summary: expect a closely contested battle where I foresee the Dallas Stars emerging victorious while covering the spread—and don’t be surprised if we see another UNDER performance given both teams’ current trends and defensive prowess leading up to this showdown.