The Phoenix Coyotes will try and make up some ground in the Western Conference Playoff race this Monday night when they face the division-rival Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center. The game is set to get underway at 10:30 p.m. (ET), and it will be available on NHL Center Ice.

The Coyotes have already been shutout in the first two games of this four-game road trip with back-to-back losses to St. Louis and Columbus by a combined score of 4-0. They are now 5-4-1 in their last 10 games, and the total has stayed “under” in four of their last six.

Los Angeles snapped a two-game skid on the road with a 5-2 victory over San Jose this past Saturday as a -135 home favorite. It is now 10-2-1 at home this season and 6-4 overall in this last 10 games. The total has gone “over” in eight of its last nine games.

Coyotes at Kings Betting Storylines

Phoenix’s recent scoring drought has been somewhat indicative of the entire season as it is averaging just 2.6 goals per game this year. Shane Doan leads the team in goals with nine, and Mikkel Boedker leads in total points with six goals and 12 assists. The Coyotes’ overall roster runs fairly deep with players that can score, with 11 tallying at least four goals this year.

On the other end of the ice, goalie Mike Smith has done a slightly-better-than-average job between the pipes with a goals-against average of 2.78 and a .903 save percentage. While he has yet to be confirmed for this game, he is expected to get the start. The Coyotes as a whole are ranked eighth in the NHL against the power play with an 83.5 percent kill rate.

The Kings continue to play like champs on their home ice, but they are stuck in sixth place in the Western Conference standings with 32 points as a result of an overall record of 15-10-2. This inconsistency is somewhat hard to understand considering that they are ranked ninth in the league in scoring with three goals a game to complement a defense that is holding teams to just 2.6 goals.

Jeff Carter (17 goals) and Anze Kopitar (eight goals and 17 assists) have led the way on offense, and a pair of Jonathans have done a good job minding the net. Jonathan Bernier has appeared in nine games this season and has posted a 1.94 GAA, but last season’s Stanley Cup MVP Jonathan Quick remains the primary starter. In 21 games, Quick has a GAA of 2.69 and a .891 save percentage but is playing much better as of late.

Coyotes at Kings NHL Betting Odds and Trends

BetOnline has opened the Coyotes as +149 road underdogs for this Pacific Division battle with Los Angeles listed as a -164 home favorite. The over/under line set at 5.

The Coyotes are 6-1 in their last seven Pacific Division games and 6-2 in their last eight games against a team with a winning record. The total has stayed under in six of their last nine road games.

The Kings are 9-2 in their last 11 games against a team with a losing record and 20-8 in their last 28 games playing on one day’s rest. The total has gone over in five of their last six games at home.

Head-to-head in this division matchup, the road team is 5-2 in the last seven meetings, and the total has stayed under in the last four games played in Los Angeles. This will be the first meeting this season at the Staples Center after splitting a pair of games in Phoenix.

Coyotes at Kings Picks and Betting Predictions

Past trends in this series tend to favor the road team, but this time around stick with the Kings to grab the edge in the season series with a win on Monday night. The defending champs have done a great job at defending their home ice all season long.

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