The Seattle Kraken (32-33-11) and Minnesota Wild (44-21-12) meet in the NHL tonight. Puck drop is set for 8:00 p.m. EDT at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Minn. 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 6.5 (-107o / -112u). The Wild are a -250 favorite to win outright, while the Kraken are +202 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Kraken vs. Wild predictions and NHL picks.
Kraken vs. Wild Odds, Pick
| Kraken Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -119 | 6.5 -107o / -112u | +202 |
| Wild Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 -102 | 6.5 -107o / -112u | -250 |
- Kraken vs. Wild Spread: Wild -1.5 (-102 ), Kraken +1.5 (-119)
- Kraken vs. Wild Over/Under: 6.5 (-107o / -112u)
- Kraken vs. Wild Moneyline: Kraken +202, Wild -250
Kraken vs. Wild Preview
Seattle Kraken
It felt like last night, the Kraken were completely outmatched by the Winnipeg Jets last night.
It shouldn’t have been a surprise though, because ever since returning from the Olympic break, Seattle has been one of the worst teams in the NHL, going 5-13-2 essentially ruling it out of any playoff hopes.
I sound like a broken record, but I truly dislike the way this team is built, apart from some decent draft picks. Firstly, hiring Lane Lambert as the coach has been a total swing-and-miss.
Then the Kraken traded for Bobby McMann (who’s had a fantastic season) for a second round pick and fourth rounder. Since then, Seattle has gone on that dreadful second-half run.
Over the past two weeks, Seattle has also been playing horribly 5-on-5, playing to a 48.92 xGF% and a 2.83 xGA/60. Additionally, the Kraken are the second least penalized team in the league, and own the worst penalty kill, succeeding 71.7% of the time.
In net, the plan was always to roll out Joey Daccord since Philipp Grubauer started last night. But Grubauer hurt himself midgame, forcing Daccord to come in cold.
It’s safe to say Daccord is ready for this season to end. He’s having his worst season as a member of the Kraken, playing to an .898 SV% and a -7.4 GSAx over his last 10 games.
Minnesota Wild
The Wild have to be feeling great as they roll into the final stretch of the season.
With already a playoff spot locked in, it’s all about seeding now. And since the two-seed Stars have been riding the struggle bus as of late, Minnesota, who’s riding a three game win streak, is inching closer to surpassing Dallas in the Central.
Contrary to their opponents, I love how the Wild are built. From top to bottom, especially after the addition of Quinn Hughes, this team went from playoff contender to immediate championship contender.
Minnesota’s 5-on-5 numbers have certainly indicated that as well. The Wild are playing to a sixth best expected goals rate of a 56.82 xGF% over the last two weeks, as well as an eighth-best 2.46 xGA/60.
The offense starts with the dynamic duo of Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy, both who have netted 40 goals this season.
Goaltending has also been a strength for the Wild, rolling out the Swedish duo of Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt.
Both have played to a high level, but it looks like Gustavsson has gotten the most burn as of late. Wallstedt, for as good as he’s been, encountered some midseason struggles, which makes the veteran Gustavsson a safer option.
Gustavsson has been inconsistent as of late, only playing to a 1.3 GSAx over his last 10 games, as well as an .895 SV%
Kraken vs. Wild Prediction
I mentioned Daccord’s struggles, and tonight’s game may just be the worst outlook for him.
Minnesota has done an incredible job at generating high danger chances all season, and even more when you factor in the last 10 games. In that stretch, the Wild have generated the third most high danger chances in the league.
And Seattle has mostly been fine at limiting those high danger chances, but Daccord has floundered whenever he’s been given the chance.
In this 10 game stretch, Daccord has a bottom-five save percentage against high danger chances, meanwhile, Joel Eriksson Ek of the Wild, has posted a 3.17 high danger expected goals rate.
Eriksson Ek has been on fire as of late, but finding the net hasn’t been so easy for him, only posting one goal in the past 15 games.
But the chances have been there. And this may be the perfect match for him to get off the schnied.
Pick: Joel Eriksson Ek Anytime Goal (+230, FanDuel)
