NHL Odds, Preview, Prediction: Golden Knights vs Kraken (Tuesday, March 12)
(Photo by Zak Krill/NHLI via Getty Images) Pictured: Jonathan Marchessault
Golden Knights vs. Kraken Odds
| Golden Knights Odds | -148 |
| Kraken Odds | +123 |
| Over / Under | 6 +102 / -122 |
Here's everything you need to know about the Vegas Golden Knights vs Seattle Kraken on Tuesday, March 12 – our expert NHL prediction and pick.
Vegas made plenty of noise around the trade deadline. The Knights dealt with some major injury issues, then bolstered their lineup with three massive acquisitions in Noah Hanifin, Anthony Mantha and Tomas Hertl. While Hertl is still hurt, Hanifin and Mantha made their presence known in Saturday's win over Detroit.
Despite losing to Winnipeg on Friday, the Kraken are still clinging onto hope. With a 6-3-1 record in its past 10 games, Seattle is eight points out of the final playoff spot. It may look bleak, but this strong stretch is keeping the playoff dreams alive.
Jonathan Marchessault dazzled on Saturday as he notched a hat trick. Vegas’ leading scorer is going to be relied upon more while the Knights continue to heal up. Behind him, William Karlsson’s scoring touch is back (22 goals) and Mantha was on a tear before he was traded. The Knights, though, will need more help from Chandler Stephenson and Ivan Barbashev.
Post All-Star break, this team has struggled mightily. They’re 23rd in expected goals with a 47.37 GF% and are 21st defensively with a 3.46 xGA/60. However, with the new additions, I wouldn’t be surprised to see those number improve.
Not only has Vegas’ 5-on-5 play struggled, but so has its special teams. In the past 10 games, the power play has played to a 16.7% conversion rate and the penalty kill is succeeding 77.3% of the time.
Adin Hill is the best option in net for Vegas, even if the team in front of him hasn’t played its best. Hill has an .882 SV% in his past 10 starts, but still holds the seventh-best goals saved above expected (GSAx) mark in the league (13.9).
Jared McCann seems to be Seattle's only consistent player this season. He leads the team in scoring (27 goals, 52 points) and has six points in his past four games. Oliver Bjorkstrand is still a legitimate scoring option and Jordan Eberle is a reliable option. Unfortunately for Seattle, Vince Dunn will be missing time due to an injury he suffered last week.
Similar to their counterparts, the Kraken’s 5-on-5 offensive play has lacked since the All-Star break. They’re 25th with a 45.98 GF%, but are 14th defensively with a 3.13 xGA/60.
Seattle’s power play has been really solid in the past 10 games, scoring at a 22.3% clip. Additionally, the penalty kill has held strong at 84.3%.
When Philipp Grubauer came back from injury, he and Joey Daccord shared the net. With Daccord playing more recently, I think we'll see Grubauer tonight. He’s played exception since returning (.944 SV%) and his GSAx (-1.5) continues to rise.
Golden Knights vs. Kraken
Betting Pick & Prediction
Injuries have really decimated the Golden Knights. However, with reinforcements, I expect them to start turning things back around. They've lost their past three road games, but I feel they’re due for a win.
Seattle’s an average team and has received some solid play from McCann and Bjorkstrand. However, young star Matty Beniers isn't having a good year and Dunn’s absence raises red flags.
The trends are leaning toward Vegas and I’m backing them in regulation.
Pick: Vegas Golden Knights 60-Minute Moneyline at +110 (via FanDuel)
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