Los Angeles Kings vs Anaheim Ducks Picks and Prediction for Saturday January 17 2026

By: Kim Smith Published 01/17/2026, 03:51 AM ET

The Los Angeles Kings head to the Honda Center to take on the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, January 17, 2026, with puck drop set for 10:00 PM EST on ESPN+. Anaheim is -105 on the moneyline with Los Angeles at -115, and the total is 6.5 (Over +105, Under -125). Make sure to check out our free NHL picks for more daily previews.

Los Angeles Plays Tight Games And Doesn’t Give Much Away

Los Angeles enters at 19-16-11 overall with a strong 12-6-5 road record, and you listed their last five as 1-2-2. That’s not great form, but the Kings’ style tends to keep games close because they don’t bleed goals.

The Kings are scoring 2.59 goals per game while allowing 2.74, with 28.0 shots per game and 26.7 shots against per game. Their power play is 16.7% with 22 power play goals, while the penalty kill is 76.5%. They also have seven short-handed goals, which suggests they can flip momentum even when special teams are messy.

Los Angeles’ edge is that they’re comfortable winning ugly, and their goals-against number is low enough to keep them live in one-goal games.

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Anaheim’s Offense Is There, But The Defense Has Been Costly

Anaheim comes in at 22-21-3 overall with a 13-8-1 home record, and you listed their last five as 1-4-0. That recent form is concerning, especially when their defensive numbers suggest they can get pulled into high-scoring games.

The Ducks are scoring 3.24 goals per game but allowing 3.67, with 30.5 shots per game and 29.0 shots against per game. Their power play is 16.8% with 24 power play goals, and the penalty kill is 77.6%. Anaheim can score, but the defensive baseline makes it hard to trust them as anything more than a high-variance side.

Anaheim’s best angle is home ice and offensive punch, but if they give up early goals, their games can unravel fast.

Los Angeles Kings vs Anaheim Ducks Pick

Pick: Los Angeles Kings -115 (Moneyline)

I’m backing the Kings because Anaheim’s goals-against number is too high, and their recent 1-4-0 stretch matches that defensive risk. Los Angeles isn’t explosive, but they’re better suited to keep this game controlled and win it in a tighter script.

Los Angeles Kings vs Anaheim Ducks Total Pick

Pick: Under 6.5 (-125)

I’m taking the under because Los Angeles plays a lower-scoring style with only 2.59 goals per game for and 2.74 against, and a 6.5 total gives plenty of room for a 3-2 or 4-2 type finish. Even with Anaheim’s higher scoring rate, the Kings’ approach usually drags totals down.

Final Score Prediction: Kings 4, Ducks 2

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