Los Angeles Kings vs New York Rangers Pick & Prediction – March 16, 2026

Los Angeles heads to Madison Square Garden on Monday night with the Kings priced as a small road favorite (-120) against the Rangers (+100). The puck line is shaded heavily toward New York (+1.5 at -250), while the total sits at 5.5 with the over juiced.

In the standings, the Kings enter at 27-24-15 (69 points) and are chasing a crowded Pacific picture, while the Rangers are 28-30-8 (64 points) and trying to climb back in the Metro. Recent form has favored New York, but the home ice results have not.

Odds & Game Info

Odds as of 9:19 AM ET on March 16, 2026 (from BetOnline).

Projected starting goalies

• Kings: Darcy Kuemper (expected)
• Rangers: Igor Shesterkin (expected)

Injury report (notable)

• Kings: Joel Armia (IR, expected back Mar 19); Andrei Kuzmenko (IR, expected back Apr 16); Kevin Fiala (IR, expected back Sep 15)
• Rangers: Matt Rempe (IR, expected back Mar 16)

Team Records

Here’s a snapshot of where each team stands entering puck drop.

Home/road splits

• Kings on the road: 17-9-8
• Rangers at home: 9-15-6

Rest and travel

• Los Angeles: continuing an East Coast swing (recent stops included Long Island and New Jersey) before landing in New York.
• New York: back home after a road win in Minnesota on March 14.

Team Stats

Season-to-date scoring, defending, and special teams numbers.

Shots profile

• Kings: 27.6 shots for per game, 27.4 shots against per game
• Rangers: 25.3 shots for per game, 29.2 shots against per game

Recaps

Los Angeles Kings

Los Angeles has been volatile lately, going 2-3 in its last five: W at Islanders (3-2), L at Devils (6-4), L at Bruins (2-1 OT), W at Blue Jackets (5-4 OT), and L vs Canadiens (4-3). The Kings’ season profile remains defense-first by results (2.94 goals against per game) and they’ve leaned on road results all year (17-9-8 away).

New York Rangers

New York brings stronger recent form, winning four of its last five: W at Wild (4-2), W at Jets (6-3), W vs Flames (4-0), W at Flyers (6-2), and L at Devils (6-3). The Rangers’ special teams are the clearer edge in this matchup, with a 24.2% power play and a 78.5% penalty kill, and Igor Shesterkin’s season line (2.49 GAA, .914 SV%) gives them a higher goaltending ceiling.

Matchup Keys

• Road vs home split is a major driver: Kings 17-9-8 away vs Rangers 9-15-6 at MSG.
• Shot volume mismatch: Rangers allow 29.2 shots per game, while the Kings generate 27.6.
• Special teams leverage: Rangers PP (24.2%) vs Kings PK (75.5%) is the cleanest path to New York scoring efficiently.
• 5v5 puck share (Corsi %): Kings 52.9% vs Rangers 49.2% suggests Los Angeles is more likely to control long-run possession.
• Goaltending gap matters if the game stays at 5v5: Shesterkin (.914 SV%) vs Kuemper (.897 SV%) this season.

Betting Trends

• Kings are 17-9-8 on the road this season.
• Rangers are 9-15-6 at home this season.
• Kings are 4-5-1 in their last 10 games.
• Rangers are 6-2-2 in their last 10 games.
• Kings have gone Under more often than Over overall (24-32 O/U).
• Kings have struggled to cover the puck line overall (21-38 ATS).
• Rangers are 25-27 ATS (puck line).
• The Kings already lead the season series 1-0.

Best Bet

Kings moneyline (-120). Los Angeles has been the more reliable team away from home (17-9-8 road record), and New York’s home ice results (9-15-6) keep them from grading as a typical MSG favorite in practice. The 5v5 possession edge (Kings 52.9% Corsi vs Rangers 49.2%) also supports Los Angeles spending more time in the offensive zone, which is important against a Rangers team that allows 29.2 shots per game. If the Kings stay disciplined, they reduce the biggest matchup advantage New York has (their 24.2% power play).

Predicted Score

Our computer projections model for this matchup predicts a final score of Kings 3, Rangers 2

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