Los Angeles (0-1-0) at Vegas (0-0-0)
- When: Oct 8 2025, 10:00 PM
- Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV, USA
- TV: TNT
Los Angeles vs Vegas NHL Preview & Pick
Moneyline: Vegas -206
Spread: Vegas -1.5 (+120)
Total: 6.0
Los Angeles Kings vs Vegas Golden Knights Betting Preview
Moneyline: Vegas -210 | Total: 6.0
Welcome to the Mitch Marner Vegas Era
Cue the lights, cue the slot machines, and cue the guy dressed as Elvis because the Mitch Marner era in Vegas hockey officially begins Wednesday night. After years of being the face of Toronto hockey and the unofficial mayor of Maple Leaf Square, Marner has traded the stress of Canadian media for a life of flashing neon and $25 shrimp cocktails.
Vegas didn’t just sign him, they Vegas’d him. The Golden Knights handed him an eight-year, $96 million contract, likely because they ran out of gold-plated fountains to spend their money on. Now he joins Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev on a line that could very well light up scoreboards and possibly the Las Vegas Strip all season long.
Coach Bruce Cassidy kept it simple: “We’ll see how the chemistry develops.” Translation: We’re betting it works, but if not, I’ll pretend it was the plan all along.
For Marner, there’s no hiding his excitement (and mild panic). “The butterflies are back,” he said. And honestly, who wouldn’t be nervous? It’s Vegas, there’s a good chance one of those butterflies has been at a blackjack table since 3 a.m.
The Golden Knights look to bounce back after last year’s playoff exit, when Edmonton treated them like a piñata full of turnovers. Cassidy made it clear the mission is another Stanley Cup. And when you’ve got Eichel’s swagger, Marner’s playmaking, and a fan base that screams louder than a slot jackpot, the odds look good.
Los Angeles Kings Outlook: The Morning After
The Kings are coming in tired, grumpy, and probably questioning their life choices after losing 4–1 to Colorado less than 24 hours ago. It wasn’t pretty, they trailed 3–0 before Kevin Fiala finally broke the shutout with a power-play goal that screamed, “At least we didn’t get blanked.”
Captain Anze Kopitar, in his 20th and final season opener, assisted on the goal while simultaneously planning what might be the most graceful retirement speech in hockey history. Meanwhile, goalie Darcy Kuemper looked solid despite being peppered by the Avalanche’s top guns.
Coach Jim Hiller didn’t mince words postgame, basically saying, “Colorado was great, we were not, and now we’ve got to face Vegas on no sleep.” If that isn’t the setup for a Vegas beatdown, I don’t know what is.
The Gambling Angle
Vegas is heavily favored, and rightfully so. They’re rested, at home, and debuting a shiny new superstar in Marner. Los Angeles, meanwhile, is running on fumes from back-to-back games and still figuring out if their defensive system is plugged in.
The over looks tempting with this much offensive firepower, but don’t expect the Kings to suddenly turn into the 1980s Oilers. Vegas should control the tempo and make this one a showcase night for their new top line.
Prediction
Vegas comes out flying, Marner dazzles, and the crowd at T-Mobile Arena gets their money’s worth (and then some). The Kings put up a fight for about 15 minutes before realizing they’re still tired from last night.
And somewhere in Toronto, a Maple Leafs fan will be staring at the TV whispering, “He looks happy.”
Score Prediction: Golden Knights 5, Kings 2
Pick: Vegas -1.5 (+120)
Total: Over 6.0 (-106)
- NHL Odds source: MyBookie Sportsbook
