The amount of preparation, practice and pregame work that goes into one NHL game can greatly help a team execute its plan on the ice. The ability to put in that effort up front is significantly affected when a team plays multiple consecutive games.

The Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks meet in a game that sees them each on the other half of a back-to-back set. The Sharks earned an OT win at Utah on Monday night, while the Kings head home to host the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday after Tuesday’s game.

The Kings come in as heavy favorites on the moneyline, perhaps because of some of this back-to-back history.

ESPN has saved the last three years of betting odds so we can see how back-to-back teams have done. Considering that preparation is an important part of how the NHL team approaches games, it might not surprise you that there is a trend when it comes to the team in the second leg of a back-to-back.

Over the past three seasons, when the favorites are on the road, they have won 904 of 1,439 games – or 62.82%. But in those situations, where the home underdog leaves a match the day before, the away favorite’s success rate rises to 72.22% (130 out of 180 games). ESPN’s historical data does not contain scattered information, but we can still make some inferences. The overall away favorites have won by two or more goals in 40.93% of those 1,439 matches; when the home underdog completes a back-to-back set, that percentage rises to 50.56%.

When there’s a tired team involved, as the Sharks likely will be on Tuesday, it also helps boost the goal totals. Over the past three seasons, total over/under results in games with a home underdog have been more than 47.12% of the time. But only in games where the home underdog is playing for the second time in as many days, the over has been reached 57.22% of the time.

Preparation and recovery between games have had a clear impact on results in the recent past, especially for teams in the second half of a back-to-back. When a road team draws home an underdog on a short rest, the results tend to tilt in their favor – significantly increasing their winning percentage and often increasing the winning margin. Additionally, whether it’s the toll on a team’s energy or the frequent use of backup goaltenders in these specific situations, goals tend to increase.

Featured games

New York Rangers at the Washington Capitals

7:30 p.m., Capital One Arena

• Rangers (-1.5, +165), -145 moneyline

• Capitals (+1.5, -200), +125 moneyline

• Total 5.5: (More than -135, less than +115)

From the world of one win for the Sharks to the world of one regulation loss for the Rangers. New York visits the upstart (5-2-0) Capitals in the featured early game.

It’s Logan Thompson’s turn in net for Washington, assuming they continue their strict rotation, while Igor Shesterkin should return to action for the first time since last Thursday after clearing Saturday’s game.

The Capitals are the home underdogs, a tag combination that has posted the lowest win total of the four (home/away, favorite/underdog) so far this season at just 13.1%, but the home dogs have done well against the spread and defeated by 26 points. out of 56 times this season (46.4%).

Of all the props, I like it Tom Wilson for shots (over 2.5, +107) because there are positive opportunities, the threshold is not that high (Alex Ovechkin gets 3.5) and the Rangers are in the top 10 for shots allowed against top six opponents.

Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks

10 p.m., SAP Center

• Kings (-1.5, -110), -275 moneyline

• Sharks (+1.5, -110), +225 moneyline

• Total 5.5: (More than -135, less than +115)

Considering the above discussion, a Kings money line looks very good and, with a 5.5 total offered, that is possible parlayed with the over for plus odds (+121).

In terms of props, the Sharks are allowing the fourth-most shots against the top six opponents so far this season. Kevin Fiala should be able to clean it up More than 2.5 shots at target threshold set for him (-130). For player points, Mikael Granlund was part of 13 of the Sharks’ 23 total goals, so you could say if they score there’s a better than 50-50 chance of him earning a point (More than 0.5 points, -230). However, the books know that too, so you’ll have to parlay to get a decent return. Consider support Fabian Zetterlund for a goal (More than 0.5 goals, +240)since he gets out with two on Monday.

Both teams are also at the bottom of the league in penalty kill, both with ten power play goals on the young season. Jake Walman (over 0.5 total goals, +650) And Brandt Clarke (over 0.5 power play points, +375) could make for some good plays from the blue line. Walman was back at quarterback for the Sharks on Monday after ceding time there to Jack Thompson (who was a healthy scratch).

Betting Trends

On Monday, the Sharks got their first win of the season, rallying from a 4-1 deficit with five minutes left in the third inning, beating Utah Hockey Club in overtime. Is there something to be said for momentum in a case like this? We certainly don’t have big enough numbers to consider the first wins of the season as a trend, but how about expanding the back-to-back discussion to see how the previous results could impact the second leg .

Using our data from ESPN’s previous three seasons, there are 391 times a team played its second consecutive game at home. Of those 391, the team in question won the first leg 197 times and lost 194 times.

Now for the results of the second leg: When a home team gets a win the day before, they have a record of 100-97. When the home team loses in the second leg, the record is 75-119.

This is not unexpected; teams that win, win and teams that lose, lose. But what if we apply the expectations to zoom in even further?

If that home team is also an underdog in the books in the second leg and they won the day before, the record is 23-52, or a winning percentage of 30.7%. If that underdog team suffers a loss and plays a consecutive game at home, its record is 27-78, or a winning percentage of 25.7%.

That is to say, the Sharks’ chances have improved because they won on Monday, but only marginally.