The Colorado Avalanche (55-15-6) play Goliath as they take on the expansion Seattle Kraken (25-44-6) Wednesday at Climate Pledge Arena. Puck drop is slated for 10 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Below, we look at the Avalanche vs. Kraken odds and lines, and make our expert NHL picks, predictions and bets.
The Avs’ nine-game win streak was snapped in a 3-2 loss against the Washington Capitals Monday. We hope you cashed in on that +170. The Avs started slowly and weren’t able to bounce back this time. That should stoke a fire in them for this one.
Seattle has won two straight as they knocked off the Ottawa Senators 4-2 Monday. The Kraken have surprisingly won five of their last 10 games as they are really limiting the shots on goal. Ottawa had just 14 against them Monday.
Avalanche at Kraken odds and lines
- Money line: Avalanche -320 (bet $320 to win $100) | Kraken +250 (bet $100 to win $250)
- Against the spread (ATS): Avalanche -1.5 (-135) | Kraken +1.5 (+110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: -112 | U: -108)
Avalanche at Kraken projected goalies
Pavel Francouz (15-3-1, 2.49 GAA, .919 SV%, 2 SO) vs. Philipp Grubauer (17-29-5, 3.11 GAA, .891 SV%, 2 SO)
Darcy Kuemper could take this start, but this feels like a spot for Francouz to give him a breather as Kuemper has been struggling a bit. Francouz was in net for the 4-3 win over the Kraken in January. He’s on a six-game win streak but has allowed at least 3 goals in four of the six.
The 30-year-old German has looked good in April. He’s 2-2 with a 2.23 GAA, a .916 SV% and a shutout of the Chicago Blackhawks this month. As mentioned, the Kraken have limited shots on net. Grubauer hasn’t faced 30 shots since March 16. However, his numbers against Colorado this season are ugly as he’s allowed 7 goals on 52 shots between one start and one relief appearance.
Money line
No thanks to that -320. PASS.
Against the spread
This isn’t going to be very profitable, and it might entail more risk than it’s worth, but we’re going with the AVALANCHE -1.5 (-135) here. The Kraken took a 3-2 lead into the third period last time against Colorado last time they met, and the Avs scored two goals in the third to sink them. They’ll be prepared this time. Coming off a loss already and having that fishy taste in their mouths, they’ll look to keep distance between them and the Kraken.
Over/Under
The Kraken are averaging 2.7 goals per game over the last 10, which is just a tick above their 2.6 average for the season. Colorado is averaging 3.8 goals per contest this season, but there are wild swings of 9 and 7 goals to mask their inconsistency. This could easily go over if the Avs are ticked off enough, but the smart money is on the UNDER 6.5 (-108).