Vegas Play of the Day: Los Angeles Kings at Chicago Blackhawks

By Case Keefer (contact)

Wednesday, May 21, 2014 | 10:35 a.m.

The Play of the Day, which features odds from the South Point and starting bankrolls of $10,000, is mired in a sudden downturn.

We’ve lost three in a row with wagers on three different leagues. I’ll look to the ice and NHL playoffs, a fourth different sport to bet on in four days, for salvation.

Los Angeles Kings plus-135 at Chicago Blackhawks: $300 to win $405

The Kings have already fallen behind 2-0 in each of their first two playoff series. Their deficit even extended to 3-0 in the first-round matchup against the Sharks.

The slow starts nearly ended their season twice. They’re going to have an extreme urgency not to fall into the same hole against the best team they’ve faced, the defending Stanley Cup champions.

Game 1 showed as much. The Kings may have lost, but they outplayed the Blackhawks for most of the game.

Los Angeles made a couple mistakes in high-leverage situations that Chicago pounced on. The Kings got more shots on goal, but Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford was sensational.

It’s difficult to doubt Crawford, but he should crash to Earth at least a bit against the Kings’ formidable offense. He’s dominated them to an outrageous clip over the last year, as Chicago is 8-1 against Los Angeles dating back to last year’s Western Conference Finals when it advanced to the finals in five games.

But it’s not like the contests have been uncompetitive. The Blackhawks have outscored the Kings by just 10 goals, slightly more than one per game, in the span.

Luck is bound to turn the other way, toward the Kings before long.

Standings: Bern (25-18-1, $11,100), Keefer (21-25, $8,153), Brewer (18-24-3, $5,990)

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.