Avalanche vs Kraken Prediction, Odds, & Picks for NHL on ESPN (Oct. 17)

The 2023-24 NHL season continues on Tuesday with an exciting nine-matchup slate. One of the showdowns that stands out the most is a rematch of the first-round playoff series between the Colorado Avalanche (2-0-0) and Seattle Kraken (0-2-1) on ESPN at 10 p.m. ET.

The Avalanche are coming off back-to-back victories to begin the campaign, most recently scoring a 2-1 shootout win over the San Jose Sharks. Meanwhile, the Kraken are still searching for their first victory after falling 2-1 to the St. Louis Blues in a shootout.

Can Colorado continue its flawless start to the 2023-24 season? Or will Seattle get into the win column before falling further than the standings?

Without wasting any more time, let’s dive into this Avalanche vs. Kraken betting preview as we take a look at the latest NHL odds, as well as my predictions and best bets for tonight.

Avalanche vs Kraken Tonight (Oct. 17)

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Colorado Avalanche (2-0-0, 2-0-0 Away) vs. Seattle Kraken (0-2-1, 0-0-0 Home)
• Venue & Location: Climate Pledge Arena (Seattle, WA)
• Date: Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023
• Game Time: 10 p.m. Eastern Time
• Avalanche vs. Kraken TV Info: ESPN

Avalanche vs Kraken Odds

Spread

• Colorado Avalanche -1.5 (+170)
• Seattle Kraken +1.5 (-200)

Over/Under

• Over 6.5 Goals (+105)
• Under 6.5 Goals (-125)

Moneyline

• Colorado Avalanche -150
• Seattle Kraken +130

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Without further adieu, let’s get back to some hockey…

Avalanche vs Kraken Betting Trends

• Colorado is 15-1 straight up in its last 16 road games.
• Seattle is 1-5 straight up in its last six games against the Central Division.
• The total has hit the Under in five of Colorado’s last six games.
• The total has hit the Over in four of Seattle’s last six home games.
• The total has hit the Under in 10 of the last 11 Colorado-Seattle matchups.

Avalanche vs Kraken Prediction

The Avalanche head into tonight’s matchup aiming for their third consecutive win to open the 2023-24 NHL campaign. Colorado is one of the deepest teams in the NHL, but it’s been its star players leading the charge thus far.

Mikko Rantanen leads all Avalanche players with four points through two games. He isn’t doing everything alone, though, as Nathan MacKinnon and 2022-23 Norris Trophy finalist Cale Makar are right behind him with three points apiece.

Unfortunately, the Kraken haven’t been getting much production from… anyone. They’ve only scored twice in three games without a single player recording more than one point.

The lack of offense is a huge reason why Seattle has experienced three straight losses. The team has yet to tally more than one goal in a game and has been outscored 8-2 in regulation so far — not exactly a recipe when it comes to winning games.

What’s frustrating for the Kraken is that they’ve received stellar goaltending despite their goal-scoring struggles. Philipp Grubauer might be 0-2-0 through two starts, but he’s still played to a .918 save percentage.

Furthermore, Joey Daccord has recorded a .960 SV% while saving 1.4 goals above average in his loan start.

At the same time, the Avs are also satisfied with their crease play. Alexandar Georgiev started in each of Colorado’s first two appearances, backstopping his way to a 1.45 GAA and .947 SV% with a pair of quality starts.

And even though the Avalanche are on the road for this one, that isn’t a good reason to doubt them. After all, Colorado emerged victorious in 15 of its 16 previous away games, outscoring those opponents by an average of 1.4 goals along the way.

That’s without mentioning how the Avalanche are 4-2-0 in six all-time visits to Climate Pledge Arena, beating the Kraken by multiple goals three times during that span.

At the end of the day, I like how the Avalanche are playing at the moment, especially when it comes to their high-end players. The Kraken are lacking reliable play outside of their goaltenders and that’s going to make it hard for them to hang with Stanley Cup contenders.

Prediction: Avalanche 4, Kraken 2

Best Bet: Avalanche -1.5 (+170 on BetDSI)

Avalanche vs Kraken Player Prop

Considering how BetDSI doesn’t have any Avalanche vs. Kraken player props available, we’re turning to Bovada for this one. With that being said, let’s lock in Mikko Rantanen to be an anytime goal scorer.

On top of having two goals in as many games this season, Rantanen has found plenty of success against the Kraken. He’s racked up seven goals in his last six games against Seattle, which includes scoring in each of his last three trips to Climate Pledge Arena for a total of five.

With 12 goals in his last eight road games, too, don’t be surprised if Rantanen finds the twine tonight.