The Seattle Kraken and Dallas Stars best-of-seven series is headed back to American Airlines Arena for a decisive Game 7 tonight.
All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Seattle Kraken (+176) vs. Dallas Stars (-215) Total: 6.5 (O+112, U-138)After an impressive Game 6 victory on home ice, the Seattle Kraken forced a Game 7 that’s set to transpire tonight. It’s been a year to remember for the Kraken, who qualified for the postseason in their second year in the league. Many people are saying they’ve followed in the footsteps of Vegas, who found success right away as an expansion team. Wouldn’t it be something to see the two newest teams in the NHL collide in the Western Conference Final? That’s what’s at stake tonight in Game 7.
The Stars are listed as sizable home favorites on the moneyline tonight at -215, while the Kraken are priced at +176. Seattle held a 2-1 series lead before the Stars stormed back and won two straight, while the Kraken replied on Saturday night in Game 6 to force this elimination game.
Looking toward the projected goalie matchup for Game 7, the Stars will continue riding Jake Oettinger between the pipes, while the Kraken will do the same with Philipp Grubauer. The Stars’ netminder has posted a 7-5 record, paired with a .900 save percentage, while Grubauer is sitting at 7-6 with a .901 save percentage. Oettinger is starting to pick up his play, but he was pulled again in Game 6. In saying that, we expect he will find his elite level again.
Dallas has a lot of experience in this spot, and that should help create some value in this matchup, especially by factoring in how long this core group has been together. All of the Stars’ three victories in this series have come by multiple goals, and even though this should be a tight Game 7, we’re expecting the Stars to pull away late and ultimately win this matchup by multiple goals.
Best Bet: Stars Puck Line -1.5 (+114)
The first six games in this series have seen nine, six, nine, nine, seven, and nine total goals scored. The oddsmakers have finally altered the pricing for this Game 7, which is set at 6.5, with the over priced at +112, while the under is at -138. Heading into this series, there was a definite expectation that it would be of the lower-scoring variety, but that hasn’t transpired. With this being a do-or-die Game 7, it’s always possible that we see a tight defensive affair. Still, with the trends we’ve seen and five of six games going over the number, we expect that to continue here tonight.
Best Bet: Over 6.5 (+112)
There’s a fair share of strong veterans on this Dallas Stars team, and that’s one of the reasons we trust them tonight. One player with an absolutely dominant run in this series has been Joe Pavelski, who’s turned back the clock and found the back of the net eight times over six games. His presence on the powerplay and one of the Stars’ top lines have been very noticeable, and he’s proven to be a big game player in prior seasons. Pavelski is listed at +172 to score tonight, and there’s definite value in that price point.
Best Prop: Joe Pavelski to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+172)