NHL Best Bets: Kraken vs. Wild Game Picks

Two Western Conference teams looking to make the postseason face off tonight, with the Minnesota Wild hosting the Seattle Kraken.

All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

In somewhat surprising fashion, the Minnesota Wild enter tonight’s contest with a one-point lead in the Central Division over the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche. The Kraken are further ahead this season than a lot of people expected they would be, occupying the top wild-card position in the Western Conference. The Wild are listed as home favorites tonight on the moneyline at -130, while the Kraken are at +108. 

This will be the third and final meeting between the clubs, which has seen the Kraken post a 4-0 victory, and the Wild a 1-o win. Entering this matchup, the visiting Kraken have posted a 5-3-2 record over their last ten games, while the Wild are 6-1-3.

Looking toward the projected goalie matchup, the Kraken are expected to start Philipp Grubauer in net, while the Wild should do the same with Marc-Andre Fleury. The Kraken’s netminder has a 14-12-4 record with a .892 save percentage, while the veteran Fleury is 23-13-4 with a .907 save percentage. Fleury should have the advantage, but the Kraken have strong underlying numbers. 

There’s a lot to like about both hockey teams, which makes handicapping this matchup a little more complicated. The Wild have been strong at home, but the Kraken have played well on the road, posting a 24-9-4 record. That’s good enough for us to side with the plus-money value they offer on the moneyline at +108. 

Best Bet: Kraken moneyline (+108) 

The first two matchups were both shutouts, tallying one and four goals. The total for tonight is set at 5.5, with the over priced at -140, while the under is sitting at +114. These teams have opposite strengths, with the Kraken being the fourth-highest scoring offense, while the Wild sit third in goals allowed per game. Over the Kraken’s last five games, they’ve seen seven or more goals scored in three, while the Wild have also seen that in three. Even with those trends, we’ve seen two lower-scoring matchups in the season series, so that’s the wager we’ll side with tonight.

Best Bet: Under 5.5 (+114) 

The Kraken have quietly posted one of the most consistent offensive attacks in the NHL. They might not have superstar talent in their lineup, but they do a fantastic job scoring by committee. One player that has value is Jared McCann. He’s been leading the charge in the goal-scoring department, filling the net with 35 goals. When you have that type of production, it’s hard to ignore the price he’s carrying to score at +172. 

Best Prop: Jared McCann to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+172) 

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