NHL Best Bets: Canucks vs. Kraken Game Picks

One of the NHL’s newest rivalries continues, with the Seattle Kraken playing host to the Vancouver Canucks.

All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

It would be difficult to see any positivity surrounding the Vancouver Canucks. They entered the year with playoff aspirations but have instead fired their coach while sitting near the basement of the standings. New head coach Rick Tocchet will man the bench for the second night in a row, which saw the Canucks defeat the Chicago Blackhawks in his debut last night. The Kraken will be a different challenge, considering where they sit in the overall standings. 

The Canucks have a 3-7 record over their last ten games, while the Kraken are 7-2-1 over that same sample size. It’s hard not to be impressed with what the Kraken have accomplished in just their second season.

Looking toward the projected goalie matchup, the visiting Canucks should start Spencer Martin, while the Kraken are expected to do the same with Martin Jones. The Canucks netminder has an 11-12-1 record with a .877 save percentage, while Jones has a 22-6-3 record with a .894 save percentage. Neither goalie has performed well, but the Kraken have been outscoring their defensive issues.

With the Kraken set to take the ice for the first time since Saturday, they’ll look to continue piling onto the Canucks’ struggles. With Vancouver playing a second consecutive night and coming off Tocchet’s first win, there’s likely some value in backing the home side at -172 on the moneyline. 

Best Bet: Kraken moneyline (-172) 

Even amidst the Canucks struggles, they haven’t had a problem scoring goals, sitting tenth. The Kraken have been slightly better, residing fifth. These teams have faced off twice, combining to score nine and eleven goals. The most significant difference between these teams is in the goals allowed department, where the Canucks sit second last, while the Kraken are 17th. Over the Canucks last five games, three matchups have seen seven or more goals scored, while the Kraken have seen that in three as well. With both teams struggling to keep pucks out of the net, it’s an excellent bet to target the over 6.5 at -130. 

Best Bet: Over 6.5 (-130) 

If you look up and down the Seattle Kraken lineup, you won’t find many star players. This team does a great job scoring by committee, which should be evident in this matchup. One of their top goal scorers is Jared McCann, who’s tallied 22 goals, leading the team with three over their last five games. The Kraken’s leading goal scorer is priced at +166 to score tonight, and it’s hard to look away from that number. 

Best Prop: Jared McCann to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+166)