Will the Kings' streak continue? Targeting 2 teams on Thursday

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We split our best bets on Wednesday night. The Blue Jackets and Ducks predictably found themselves in an offensive explosion, but unfortunately, the Oilers couldn't beat the Bruins in overtime.

Let's take a look at a couple of plays that pop off the page Thursday night as we look for a mini-sweep.

The Canucks have dropped three in a row, but I don't think there's much cause for concern.

They mostly played well against a strong Jets team, generating nearly 40 shots, with Vezina favorite Connor Hellebuyck being the difference.

The Canucks followed that up by losing to a red-hot Wild team in a game Casey DeSmith conceded eight goals on just 25 shots.

Lastly, they lost 3-1 - with an empty-netter - in a hotly contested game against a contending Avalanche team.

I happen to think the Canucks are still a very good team and deserve to be favored more heavily in this spot.

The Kraken are a poor offensive team. They rank 28th in goals per game and struggle to convert on the chances they do get.

Despite getting some bodies back up front, the Kraken still sit 30th in total shooting percentage this month.

That doesn't bode well for their chances of success against the Canucks. They don't give up many shots, and Thatcher Demko is as good as it gets when it comes to stopping them.

The Kraken will need to be efficient with their chances, something they struggle with at the best of times. I don't see that changing against a netminder who's saved more than 25 goals above expectation this season.

Bet: Canucks (-125)

Are the Kings back? It sure seems that way. They've won five of six games this month and posted sparkling numbers across the board.

They've controlled 56% of the expected goals share at five-on-five, which is one of the best marks in the league.

Excluding an absolute clunker against the Sabres, they've conceded only seven goals over five wins. They blanked the Oilers 4-0, held a healthier Devils squad to just one goal, beat the Bruins, and conceded just two total goals over the past two games.

The Kings are starting to get contributions throughout the lineup. Rookie blue-liner Brandt Clarke is starting to make game-breaking plays that show why he was drafted so highly. Quinton Byfield is emerging as a star in the league, while Pierre-Luc Dubois is finally starting to produce at the level expected.

So long as the Kings get good goaltending - and David Rittich is giving them that right now - they're a handful to deal with.

I think they're going to cause a world of problems for the Predators in this spot. The Preds rank 28th in expected goals share at five-on-five in February. They'll likely get heavily outshot by the Kings in this matchup.

That's problematic, given the level of goaltending we're seeing in Nashville. The Predators have conceded at least four goals in six of the past eight games. They simply can't keep the puck out.

Look for Los Angeles to extend its winning streak to five games - and do so inside 60 minutes.

Bet: Kings in regulation (+100)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.

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