Tampa Bay Lightning vs Los Angeles Kings Prediction, 1/1/2026 NHL Picks, Best Bets & Odds
Game: Tampa Bay Lightning vs Los Angeles Kings
Date: Thursday, January 1, 2026
Location: Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA
TV: Fanduel Sports Network West
Odds/Point Spread: Lightning (-182) Kings (+150)
The Los Angeles Kings (16-12-9) will compete against the Tampa Bay Lightning (22-13-3) at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday. The odds on this game have the Lightning at -182 while the Kings are at +150. The over/under has been set at 6.5.
The Tampa Bay Lightning had a decent effort after finishing in a 4-4 tie against the Canadiens in their previous contest . Tampa Bay tallied 13 penalty minutes in this game. The Lightning had a solid offensive outing and it was apparent in this game. Furthermore, they had 1 chance with the advantage but weren't able to score. For the matchup, they earned a goal on 4 out of the 22 shots they looked to score on.
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In reference to their scoring, the Tampa Bay Lightning have racked up 125 goals (5th in hockey) on the campaign and have allowed 100. For the year, they have recorded 47 points and their points percentage comes in at .618. Tampa Bay has 123 power play chances and they have notched 21 goals out of those tries, earning them a rate of 17.07%. While at even strength, the Lightning have given up 81 goals while scoring 104 of their own. Tampa Bay has tried 1,044 shots and is the owner of a shot percentage of 12.0%. The Lightning have seen 1,020 shots attempted against them and are the owners of a save percentage of .902. Tampa Bay Lightning opponents have 129 power play tries (3rd in the NHL) and have scored 19 goals in those attempts.
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The man protecting the goal in this game is Jonas Johansson. Over the course of his career, Johansson has accounted for 38 quality starts and his quality starts rate sits at .447. He has a save percentage of .891 during his 4,278 minutes on the ice. Johansson has had 2,588 shots taken against him and has recorded 2,305 saves. The opposition has racked up 283 goals versus Johansson in his pro career and his goals against average is 3.33. He has compiled an overall mark of 40-32-13 and he was named the starter in 85 games. Johansson has participated in 96 matchups throughout his NHL career.
In their last contest, Los Angeles opposed the Ducks in a matchup where the Kings earned a win by a tally of 6-1. They had 4 opportunities on the power play in this outing and scored 1 out of those chances. The Kings had 6 goals out of the 30 shots on goal they were seeking.
On the year, the Los Angeles Kings have notched a total of 96 goals, 41 points, and a points percentage of .554. They have granted a total of 92 goals to be scored by way of 64 goals at even strength and 28 goals while they had less men on the ice. The Kings have 80 goals at even strength and 16 goals (30th in the league) while on the power play. They have a total of 115 opportunities on the power play and they have earned a power play percentage of 13.91%. Los Angeles has attempted 1,045 shots (19th in the NHL) and has accumulated a shooting percentage of 9.19%, while allowing the other team 998 shots. They have recorded a penalty kill percentage of 77.60% on the other teams 125 tries on the power play, and their save percentage is 90.8%.
For the opposition you will find Anton Forsberg in goal. He has gathered 5,174 saves out of 5,721 shots taken against him, giving him a rate of .904. Forsberg is the owner of a career record of 80-86-17 and has played in 204 contests. He has started in 187 games and has accumulated 10,105 minutes. Forsberg's rate of quality starts sits at 51.9% and he has accumulated 97 quality starting assignments in his NHL career. Opponents are averaging 2.93 goals/game and he has surrendered 547 goals altogether.
Who will win tonight's NHL game against the spread or moneyline?
Guy's Pick: Take Los Angeles (+150)
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Additional Resources:
Los Angeles Kings - Twitter
Tampa Bay Lightning - Twitter