Two of the top favorites to win the Western Conference this season clash this Monday night at the Staples Center when the Vancouver Canucks face off against the Los Angeles Kings. The game is set to get underway at 10:30 p.m. (ET) and it will be broadcast on TSN.

Vancouver fell to 2-3 on the year with a 4-1 loss to San Jose this past Sunday as a +108 underdog on the road. The total stayed “under” the 5.5 line and has now stayed under in its last four games. The Canucks are 1-1 on the road this season after shutting out Anaheim 5-0 in its previous outing.

The defending Stanley Cup Champion Kings posted their first win this season after three straight losses with a 4-2 victory over Phoenix as -125 road favorites this past Saturday night. They also matched their goal total for the year after scoring a combined four goals in those three losses. The total has gone 2-2 so far with the line set at five for all four games.

Canucks at Kings Betting Storylines

Vancouver entered this shortened regular season as many people’s favorite to win the Western Conference this season. Part of the reason for the slower-than-expected start is an offense that has struggled to find the back of the net. They have averaged just 2.6 goals a game while allowing three goals a game on defense.

Mason Raymond leads Vancouver with three goals, and Daniel Sedin has tallied two goals and four assists. However, some of this team’s other sharp-shooters are still trying to shake off the rust from the extended layoff. Henrik Sedin also has four assists, but he is still looking for his first goal of the season. Cory Schneider has seen the majority of the action in goal but has been rusty as well with a goals-against-average of 3.13 and a .897 save percentage.

Los Angeles’ title defense did not get off to good start after getting outscored 10-4 in its first three games. It has been able to tighten things up on defense over its last three outings after giving up five goals to Chicago in its home opener. Since that loss, the team has allowed just seven goals in its last three games.

The Kings are also starting to find their rhythm on offense behind Anze Kopitar. After getting shutout in his first three games, the center exploded for two second-period goals against the Coyotes to help pace the win. Kyle Clifford leads the team in scoring with one goal and four assists. Last year’s Stanley Cup hero, Jonathan Quick, is slowly starting to find the form in goal that led to that dramatic playoff run. After allowing 10 goals in his first three outings he stopped 31 of the 33 shots he faced the last time between the pipes.

Canucks at Kings NHL Betting Odds and Trends

BetOnline’s has Vancouver listed as a +121 road underdog and Los Angeles a -133 home favorite with the “over/under” line set at five.

The Canucks are 2-6 in their last eight games against the Pacific Division but 23-9 in their last 32 games playing on no day’s rest. The total has stayed under in 10 of their last 16 games on the road.

The Kings are 20-7 in their last 27 games following a win and 13-6 in their last 19 home games. The total has stayed under in five of their last seven games at home.

Head-to-head in this matchup, the road team is 4-1 and the total has stayed under in four of the last six games played in Los Angeles.

Canucks at Kings Picks and Betting Predictions

Both of these teams will continue to slowly work their way back into championship-caliber form in a showdown that could very well be an early preview of this season’s Western Conference Finals. These two heavyweights will take their shots at one another on Monday night, but in the end it will be the goaltenders that ultimately decide the outcome. Stick with the under all the way in this battle.

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