After the turn of the calendar year from 2025 to 2026, the Los Angeles Kings (16-13-9) and head coach Jim Hiller ring in the New Year on Jan. 1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning (23-13-3) to begin a four-game homestand at Crypto.com Arena. Hiller and the Kings had a rocky month in the West this past month in December, winning well under half of the games they played in the past few weeks.
Los Angeles Kings face the Tampa Bay Lightning after the New Year to ring in 2026 on home ice
The January schedule in the West for the Kings won't get any easier over the coming few weeks for the team. The Kings play playoff teams in the current standings in the league in 16 of the next 20 games in the months of January and early in the month of February this regular season.
We don't have official confirmation yet for the Kings if starting goalie Darcy Kuemper will be the starter tonight on home ice vs. the Lightning from Tampa Bay on Jan. 1. The last time these two teams met on the road in the Sunshine State a couple of weeks ago on Dec. 18, Anton Forsberg and the Kings defeated the Lightning on the road in Tampa by a score of 2-1.
Here are the betting odds and spread information for the matchup between the Kings and Lightning on New Year's Day for the first game of the 2026 calendar year for LA at home at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA, on Jan. 1 at 4 p.m. PT.
Betting odds for the matchup between the Los Angeles Kings and Tampa Bay Lightning
Money line: Kings -118, Lightning -102
Spread: Kings -1.5 (+198)
Over/under: 5.5 (Over -118, Under -104)
On New Year's Day 2026, the Kings are very narrow favorites on home ice at Crypto Arena in the pregame betting spread and the money line against the Lightning from Tampa Bay (per FanDuel sportsbook). The over/under is set at 5.5 goals.
Projected rosters for the Los Angeles Kings vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
Kings
Forwards
Moore – Kopitar – Kempe
Fiala – Byfield – Laferriere
Kuzmenko – Turcotte – Foegele
Armia – Helenius – Perry
*Malott
Defensemen
Anderson – Doughty
Edmundson – Clarke
Dumoulin – Ceci
*Moverare
Goalies
Kuemper
Forsberg
Lightning
Forwards
Goncalves - Point - Kucherov
Hagel - Cirelli -Guentzel
Girgensons - Gourde - Holmberg
Paul -Finley - Bjorkstrand
Defensemen
Moser - Raddysh
D'Astous - Cernak
Carlile -Crozier
Goalies
Johansson
Vasilevskiy
*Indicates a healthy scratch
Futures betting odds for the Los Angeles Kings for the 2025-26 season
To make the playoffs: -310
To win the Pacific Division: +550
To win the Stanley Cup: +3000
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.