Los Angeles Kings vs Calgary Flames Prediction, Odds and Picks for Today, 04/16/26

While a matchup between the Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames might not be the most intriguing on a normal night during the NHL season, it comes to us on the final day as one of the last remaining meaningful games for playoff positioning. The schedule makers did a great job of leaving the Kings, Anaheim Ducks, and Edmonton Oilers as participants on the final day, as all three teams’ positioning hinges on Thursday night’s results.

The Oilers sit in second in the Pacific Division with 91 points, while the Ducks are in third with 90. The Kings currently occupy the second wild card with 90 points, losing out to the Ducks because they have just 22 regulation wins. There is no easy way to decipher the matchups until the games are complete. Still, the most compelling potential outcomes are the Kings jumping the Ducks to face the Oilers in the first round for the fifth straight season or both the Ducks and Kings jumping the Oilers to set up an Oilers-Colorado Avalanche matchup in the first round.

The Kings have been taking care of their own business over the past 10 games, owning a 7-1-2 record to secure a playoff spot after some tense moments following the Olympic break. With Anze Kopitar’s career ending and Los Angeles adding Artemi Panarin earlier this season to improve for the postseason, missing out on the action would’ve been devastating for the organization and fans.

The Flames have been struggling to end the season, going 3-5-2 over the same 10-game span, and the Kings still have something to play for in this game. While you might say that Los Angeles would be making a mistake to want to play the Oilers after losing four consecutive first-round series against them, their issues this season make them a much more enticing matchup than the Colorado Avalanche, who have been torching the league all season long. Take the Kings to continue to take care of business in this one.

Kings vs Flames prediction: Kings ML (-130) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.