The Pittsburgh Penguins open a three-game California trip Saturday night against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena. Both clubs arrive with 12 points and plenty to fix. Los Angeles is a -128 home favorite on the moneyline, and the total sits at 6.5. Pittsburgh has dropped four straight, while the Kings just posted their most convincing win of the season. Goaltending, the schedule and special teams pull this price in different directions. We sort through each of them below before landing on two picks.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Los Angeles Kings — Game Info & How to Watch
| Where | Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles California |
| When | November 7 – 9:00 PM ET |
| TV | SportsNet Pittsburgh, ABTV |
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Los Angeles Kings Betting Preview
Neither starting goaltender was confirmed as of Saturday morning, so treat this read as provisional until the morning skate settles it. Pittsburgh’s projected starter is Arturs Silovs. He is 5-5-1 with a 3.26 goals-against average and an .876 save percentage across 11 appearances. Sergei Murashov is the alternative at 0-4-1, with a 3.83 GAA and an .871 save percentage. The Penguins also play in Anaheim on Sunday, so this is the front end of a back-to-back.
Los Angeles has split its crease between Darcy Kuemper and Anton Forsberg. Kuemper is 5-3-1 with a 3.46 GAA and an .885 save percentage. However, he has won five straight starts, including a 30-save night in Wednesday’s 7-2 rout of San Jose. Forsberg owns the better rate stats at 2.51 and .902, yet he is 0-4-1. Reports conflict on who starts. Recent fantasy coverage notes the two have been alternating, which would point to Forsberg, while lineup projections list Kuemper.
Both teams sit seventh in their divisions. Pittsburgh is 5-9-2, has gone 2-7-1 over its last 10 games, and has lost seven straight on the road. Thursday’s 6-2 home loss to Boston, covered in our Bruins vs. Penguins prediction, stretched the current skid to four. Captain Sidney Crosby said afterward that the team keeps giving up big chances and has not been consistent enough.
Los Angeles is 5-7-2 after losing its first six games, and it has won five of its last eight. The offense runs hot or cold. The Kings are 0-5-1 when held to one goal and 5-1-1 when they reach three. Adrian Kempe had a hat trick and an assist against the Sharks, skating on the top line with Artemi Panarin and Alex Laferriere.
Injuries thin both rosters. Pittsburgh is without Bryan Rust, Elmer Soderblom, Trevor van Riemsdyk and Ryan Graves. The Kings remain without Kevin Fiala and Mats Zuccarello. Still, head coach Peter Laviolette upgraded Alex Turcotte to day-to-day after Friday’s practice.
Special teams split sharply. The Kings convert 22.00% of their power plays, while Pittsburgh kills 82.50% of penalties. The other matchup is far more lopsided, because Los Angeles has the league’s worst penalty kill at 63.04% and Pittsburgh’s power play sits at 17.78%. Both teams average just over three goals per game, and both allow more than three. The total has drifted slightly toward the under since it opened, with the over moving from -103 to +100.
This is the first meeting of the season. The last one went to Los Angeles, as Kevin Fiala broke a third-period tie in a 3-2 Kings win in Pittsburgh on Nov. 9, 2025.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Los Angeles Kings Odds
| Puck Line | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penguins | +1.5 (-235) | +107 | O 6.5 (+100) |
| Kings | -1.5 (+195) | -128 | U 6.5 (-120) |
Odds accurate as of November 7, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest NHL Odds – Futures – Props
Penguins vs. Kings Prediction — Pittsburgh’s Third Game in Four Nights
The schedule frames this game. Pittsburgh played at home Thursday, plays here Saturday, and heads to Anaheim on Sunday, its third game in four nights. Los Angeles has not played since Wednesday and is in the middle of a homestand. That rest gap matters in hockey, because tired legs show up in puck battles and late-period defending.
Pittsburgh’s underlying numbers offer little cover. The Penguins allow 3.56 goals per game, and both of their goaltenders sit below .880. Their shot counts are even at 27.4 for and 27.4 against. In other words, the goals against come from what they allow around the net more than from volume. Meanwhile, the Kings scored seven against San Jose and have reached three goals in seven of their 14 games. Taken together, the rested home side holds the cleaner spot, and the current price leaves modest room for that edge.
The vehicle matters too. Needing a two-goal margin asks a lot of an offense that has gone quiet six times this season. An empty-net goal can stretch a one-goal game late, which helps favorites on the puck line. Still, two teams that both allow more than three goals per game point toward a back-and-forth night, and a large share of hockey games finish within a goal. That makes the margin a bigger ask than the win itself.
The case against is real. The Kings’ penalty kill gives Pittsburgh a clear path back into any game, and Los Angeles has been held to a single goal six times. The opening number has not moved, so the market offers no confirmation. The goaltending question cuts both ways as well. This rates as a lean rather than a strong play, and it covers the full game, so overtime and the shootout count.
The Pick: Kings Moneyline (-128)
Penguins vs. Kings Prediction — Los Angeles and the League’s Last-Ranked Penalty Kill
Pittsburgh’s power play has underachieved, but no unit in the league is easier to attack than the one it faces Saturday. That shifts the focus to whoever runs the Penguins’ offense from the back end. Erik Karlsson has 13 assists in 16 games, which puts a single helper in any given game at better than even odds on his rate alone. The matchup then adds to that baseline, since every extra Pittsburgh power play puts the puck on his stick more often.
The risk is straightforward. This depends on Pittsburgh scoring, which sits somewhat against the first read, although a Karlsson assist fits comfortably inside a Kings win. A quiet night for the Penguins’ power play would also cut into his chances. Treat it as a lean drawn from a different input than the side.
The Pick: Erik Karlsson To Record 1+ Assists (-108)
Our Final Word on Penguins vs. Kings Saturday November 7, 2026
Both teams have 12 points, but they arrive in very different shape. The Kings are rested at home after their best win of the season, while Pittsburgh faces a tough week of travel with goaltending that has not held up. The Kings’ scoring swings and their penalty kill are the main threats to that read. For more on how Los Angeles looked earlier this week, see our Sharks vs. Kings prediction.
Kings Moneyline (-128) is the top play, built on Pittsburgh’s third game in four nights against a rested home team. Erik Karlsson To Record 1+ Assists (-108) follows, backed by his 13 assists in 16 games and a Kings penalty kill that ranks last in the league.