The Minnesota Wild (15-9-5) and Seattle Kraken (11-9-6) meet in the NHL tonight. Puck drop is set for 10:00 p.m. EST at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Wash. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
The Wild are favored by -1.5 on the puck line, with the over/under set at 5.5 (-105o / -115u). The Wild are a -135 favorite to win outright, while the Kraken are +114 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Wild vs. Kraken predictions and NHL picks.
Wild vs. Kraken Odds, Pick
| Wild Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +200 | 5.5 -105o / -115u | -135 |
| Kraken Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -245 | 5.5 -105o / -115u | +114 |
- Wild vs. Kraken Spread: Wild -1.5 (+200), Kraken +1.5 (-245)
- Wild vs. Kraken Over/Under: 5.5 (-105o / -115u)
- Wild vs. Kraken Moneyline: Wild -135, Kraken +114
Wild vs. Kraken Preview
Minnesota Wild
Minnesota is probably relieved that this is the end of its west coast road trip, because we finally got to see the rookie sensation goalie Jesper Wallstedt get figured out.
Wallstedt has been a total rock since the Wild decided to roll him out in full. And in 11 games played, he suffered his first regulation loss on Saturday in Vancouver.
Not just that, he posted four shutouts in a six-game span prior to the Canucks’ game. So perhaps, Minnesota has something special in the crease.
Outside of that, the Wild’s 5-on-5 play has been decent at best. I’ve never been an outward fan of their coach, Jon Hynes, and right now, it seems like he’s being disguised by both Wallstedt and the heroic play of Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov.
Even Marcus Johansson is playing to a near point-per-game pace, which I was not expecting.
When you have three-point producers that can move the puck around at a high level, the power play is going to perform well, and the Wild score at a 23% clip, which is 10th best in the NHL.
And their penalty kill has been performing at an elite level, stopping 21 of their last 21 PK attempts.
Seattle Kraken
I’m just going to say it. I truly hate the way the Kraken are built. Maybe you’ve noticed me on X blast Ron Francis as a general manager over the years, so this won’t come as a surprise.
When your leading scorer is 35-year-old Jordan Eberle with just 16 points, and your 5-on-5 defense is in the bottom half of the league, and your goaltending is playing to a sub-.900 SV%, perhaps it’s time to look in the mirror.
I think over time, they’ve done a strong job drafting, but their insistence on signing over-the-hill veterans to lucrative contracts is going to do nothing but hamper their future.
Seattle currently has the worst penalty kill in the league, with a 64.8% success rate, and its power play is also scoring at a 16.8% clip, which is good enough for 22nd in the league.
I give goaltender Joey Daccord a lot of credit because it feels like a miracle that this team is only three points away from a playoff spot, with an 11-9-6 record. His stats don’t pop out, but he’s certainly kept Seattle alive in games.
But either way, you can’t help but be bearish on this franchise moving forward.
Wild vs. Kraken Prediction
Seattle has a history of sticking it to me whenever I publicly bash its team in my write-ups, but I’m going to fade the Kraken once again tonight.
There’s a lot of juice backing the Wild at -135, but given the recent loss to Vancouver, I feel pretty confident in them getting back on the saddle and defeating an already struggling team.
Also, in the franchise’s very limited history, they’ve hosted the Wild six times, and the only time the Kraken have won was the first time the Wild came into Seattle.
History favors Minnesota here, so I’m going to ride with the Wild tonight.
Pick: Minnesota Wild ML (-135)
