BEST BET: NHL Nightcap With Kings, Pens Provides Value To Close Out Holiday Schedule

LAS VEGAS -- Sitting on a 9-6-1 win streak with Best Bets, and with a games being played all day, I'm going to take a look at the late game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Los Angeles Kings.

The Penguins arrive at Crypto.com Arena on a mini two-game win streak, while splitting their last 10 games ,and sitting in sixth place in the Metropolitan Division. They're six points off the Wild Card pace, and desperately need some wins before the 4 Nation's Faceoff break.

The Kings, on the other hand, are in third place in the Pacific Division, and are firmly in the playoff discussion, even though they've lost three of their last four. They return after a five-game road trip, and have one day off since losing in Seattle on Saturday.

Let's do a deep dive into this one:

WHY PITTSBURGH: With the Kings just one day to relax, might not have their legs back after traveling to Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Seattle. It's the right spot to catch the Kings still weary, and possibly looking ahead to Wednesday's clash against defending Stanley Cup champion Florida.

WHY LOS ANGELES: This is a good chance for the Kings to grab a win at home, as it's been a minute since playing at Crypto since the wildfires gave them some extended time off. The Kings come in having registered points in seven of nine matchups (6-2-1) against Metropolitan Division teams this season and are 3-0-0 at home.

All betting lines are from Bet365 and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.

THE PICK: Kings -1.5 goals, +135 -- I tend to get worried about teams in their first game home after returning from an extended road trip, but I have a feeling the Kings are in a good position to secure a big win here. Los Angeles has points in each of its last five games against Pittsburgh at Crypto.com Arena (4-0-1), dating back to Jan. 12, 2019, while outscoring the Penguins 22-9 in that span. Let's take a look at the Kings on the puck line.

(Season Record: 14-16-1, Net: -335$, based on 100$ units)