Our Senators vs. Kings prediction starts with a near coin-flip price. Ottawa visits Crypto.com Arena on Thursday as a -115 moneyline favorite, with Los Angeles at -105 and the total sitting at 6. The Senators are 8-5-0 but play without their No. 1 goaltender, while the Kings are 3-6-2 and still looking for their first home win. Below, we break down the goaltending, the special teams gap and the market’s movement before landing on two plays.
Last Updated: October 29, 2026
Ottawa Senators vs. Los Angeles Kings — Game Info
| Where | Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles California |
| When | October 29 – 10:00 PM ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
Ottawa Senators vs. Los Angeles Kings Betting Preview
Goaltending shapes this game more than anything else, and neither starter is confirmed. Ottawa lost Linus Ullmark when the club placed him on injured reserve with a lower-body strain on October 22. That is a major blow. Ullmark was 7-1-0 with a .945 save percentage and a 1.33 GAA before the injury.
Jonas Johansson made 25 saves in Tuesday’s 4-1 loss at Vegas. Samuel Ersson projects to start here, though that is not yet confirmed. Ersson is 0-3-0 with an .835 save percentage and a GAA above 4.50. That is a three-start sample, however, and small samples swing hard. For Los Angeles, Darcy Kuemper projects to start after Anton Forsberg went Tuesday. Kuemper is 3-3-1 with an .889 save percentage, and that number sits among the league’s worst. Both reads are provisional until morning skates confirm the starters.
The schedule spot is fairly even. Both teams played Tuesday and had Wednesday off. The Kings return home after a 3-2-0 road trip that ended with a 2-1 loss in Chicago with Anton Forsberg in net. That trip also included the 6-3 win in New York covered in our Kings vs. Rangers prediction. Meanwhile, Ottawa opened a five-game road trip with a 4-1 loss at Vegas, where two of the four goals went into an empty net.
Recent form favors Ottawa, though not by much. The Senators are 6-4 over their last 10, with two of those wins coming in a shootout. They scored 29 goals and allowed 30 in that stretch. Los Angeles is 3-5-2 over its last 10, scoring 24 and allowing 29. The Kings sit seventh in the Pacific with eight points. They are also 0-3-0 at home, with a single goal in each of those three games. Ottawa sits tied for third in the Atlantic with 16 points.
Special teams tilt the matchup. The Kings’ penalty kill is working at 63.6%, the worst mark in the league. Ottawa’s power play has not been able to punish anyone, though, converting just 12.7% of its chances. The Los Angeles power play runs at 15.2%, and Ottawa kills penalties at 77.8%. Injuries matter on both sides as well. Warren Foegele is day-to-day with a knee issue, and Thomas Chabot’s return date is unsettled. The Kings are without Mats Zuccarello, while Drew Doughty and Corey Perry are day-to-day after sitting out Tuesday.
Ottawa Senators vs. Los Angeles Kings Odds
| Puck Line | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senators | -1.5 (+225) | -115 | O 6.0 (+100) |
| Kings | 1.5 (-275) | -105 | U 6.0 (-120) |
Odds accurate as of October 29, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest NHL Odds – Futures – Props
Ottawa Senators vs. Los Angeles Kings — Who Is the Public Betting?
| Senators | 39% | 61% | Kings |
See the latest NHL Public Betting Splits and make smarter wagers!
Senators vs. Kings Prediction — Who Cashes In Against the League’s Worst Penalty Kill?
The total is where the clearest signals line up. Start with the market. The number opened at 6 and has held there, but the price has shifted toward the low side. The Under opened at -115 and now sits at -120, while the Over drifted from -105 to plus money. That is a small move. Still, it confirms the read rather than fighting it. Neither team generates much volume, either. Ottawa averages 25.5 shots per game and Los Angeles averages 27.0, both in the bottom half of the league.
The Kings’ attack has also stalled at home. They have scored three goals across three games at Crypto.com Arena, one in each. Ottawa has played low-scoring hockey on the road as well. Five of its six road games finished with fewer than six goals. The worst penalty kill in the league is a real risk to this read. However, Ottawa’s power play has converted only seven times in 55 chances, so the matchup has not turned into goals yet.
The case against is the goaltending. Two netminders with save percentages below .890 rarely make for a quiet night, and Ersson’s early numbers are ugly. Empty-net goals are the other danger. A 3-2 game becomes a push the moment someone hits the empty net, and Ottawa allowed two empty-netters on Tuesday. A shootout winner would add a goal to the final score too. The price asks for roughly 54.5% to break even, so this is a lean that the market supports rather than a big edge.
The Pick: Under 6.0 (-120)
Senators vs. Kings Prediction — What Does Ottawa Look Like Without Ullmark?
The side comes down to which team’s flaws hurt more. Ottawa is the better team on paper. It owns twice as many points and a goal differential of -1, while the Kings sit at -9 through 11 games. Los Angeles has also lost all three home games. The moneyline has not budged from its opening price, even with 56% of moneyline tickets on the Kings. That frozen number is a quiet nod toward Ottawa, though it is a weak signal on its own. The offensive gap backs it up. Ottawa has scored 2.85 goals per game, while Los Angeles sits at 2.55, and the Kings have allowed 3.36 per game. The full-game moneyline includes overtime and the shootout, which matters for a team that has already won twice in the skills competition.
The case against is clear. Since Ullmark landed on injured reserve, Ottawa has gone 1-2, and the goaltending behind him has been shaky. Two of the Senators’ eight wins came in a shootout, so their record flatters them slightly. This play also leans on the same Kings scoring slump behind the Under, so the two picks are not independent. At -115, the price asks for about 53.5%, and Ottawa’s edge in team quality clears that by a modest margin.
The Pick: Senators Moneyline (-115)
Our Final Word on Senators vs. Kings
This game hinges on two unconfirmed goaltenders, so check the starters before puck drop. If Ersson and Kuemper both start as projected, the reads above stand. A surprise change in either crease would shift both the side and the total.
The Under 6.0 at -120 is our top play because the market’s move toward the low side matches two low-volume offenses. The Senators moneyline at -115 is our second play because Ottawa is the stronger team against a Kings side still winless at home.
NHL Senators vs. Kings FAQ: October 29, 2026
What time does the Senators vs. Kings game start?
The Senators and Kings drop the puck at 10:00 PM ET on Thursday, October 29, 2026. That is 7:00 PM local time in Los Angeles. The game is at Crypto.com Arena, the Kings’ home rink, and it is the first meeting between the two teams this season.
How can I stream the Senators vs. Kings game?
In the United States, Senators vs. Kings streams on ESPN+. Viewers need an active ESPN+ subscription to watch the game live on Thursday night. Coverage starts around the 10:00 PM ET puck drop from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. No other national U.S. television broadcast is listed for this game.
Is Linus Ullmark playing tonight?
No. Linus Ullmark is on injured reserve with a lower-body injury and will not play against the Kings. Ottawa placed him on IR on October 22. Ullmark was 7-1-0 with a .945 save percentage before the injury, so his absence is a major loss for the Senators.
What are the Senators’ and Kings’ records this season?
The Senators are 8-5-0 entering Thursday, including 3-3-0 on the road. The Kings are 3-6-2 and have yet to win at home, going 0-3-0 at Crypto.com Arena. Ottawa lost 4-1 at Vegas on Tuesday, while Los Angeles fell 2-1 at Chicago the same night.
Where do the Senators and Kings stand in the standings?
Ottawa sits tied for third in the Atlantic Division with 16 points through 13 games. Los Angeles is seventh in the Pacific Division with eight points through 11 games. The Kings sit near the bottom of the Western Conference after a slow start.