Blackhawks vs. Kraken prediction, odds, pick, how to watch
The Chicago Blackhawks and the Seattle Kraken will go head-to-head on this Thursday night in the heart of the Emerald City! Let's check out our NHL odds series where our Blackhawks-Kraken prediction and pick will be revealed.
The Chicago Blackhawks and the Seattle Kraken will go head-to-head on this Thursday night in the heart of the Emerald City! Let's check out our NHL odds series where our Blackhawks-Kraken prediction and pick will be revealed.
Although the Blackhawks are still a while away from returning to contending status, there is much hope to go around this organization! As it stands, Chicago is 9-18-1 and possesses 25 total points which is the third-least amount in the Pacific Division. Nevertheless, Chicago will look to make a return in the win column after being outscored 8-2 in their two previous games combined.
On the other side of things, the Seattle Kraken were able to instill some hope into their fan base after a rocky than expected start to the regular season. At first glance, the Kraken sports a 9-14-7 record and have gone only 5-8-2 inside their home arena. After a grueling eight-game losing streak, Seattle finally came out victorious last time out in a 4-0 shutout victory over the Florida Panthers.
Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Blackhawks-Kraken Odds
Chicago Blackhawks: +1.5 (-115)
Seattle Kraken: -1.5 (-104)
Over: 5.5 (-118)
Under: 5.5 (-104)
How to Watch Blackhawks vs. Kraken
Time: 10:00 ET/7:00 PT
TV: ESPN+
Why The Blackhawks Will Cover The Spread/Win
Although the Blackhawks don't look like much from the naked eye, a closer look suggests that Chicago has plenty of youthful talent that is ready to burst onto the scene at any moment.
Without a shadow of a doubt, the hype surrounding rookie phenom Connor Bedard has been worth it. Out of every qualifying rookie this season, it has been Bedard who leads all first-year players with a total of 24 points (12 goals, 12 assists) through the team's first 28 games. Unquestionably, this young bull's future is brighter than any star in the Milky Way Galaxy, and don't be alarmed if Bedard uses his sheer talent to make some critical plays in this one to help his team come out on the winning side of things.
In addition, but something needs to give for a Blackhawks squad that is ranked 31st in the league in goals scored per game. With only two goals scored in their last pair of contest combined, Chicago's first order off business in this ballgame is to strike while the iron is hot in the form of the power-play. Statistically speaking, Chicago boasts one of the poorest power-play conversion rates in the league at only a measly 10%. Indeed, if the Blackhawks want any chance in coming away with a big-time road win, then capitalizing on the extra-man attack will prove to be vital.
However, with how poorly Seattle has played this season, this game could truly go either way. At the end of the day, Chicago will want to make sure they shore up the amount of giveaways in their own zone and make life easier for Arvid Soderblom and/or Petr Mrazek in net.
Why The Kraken Will Cover The Spread/Win
In desperate fashion, the Kraken needed a jolt of energy more than ever and they got exactly that thanks to goaltender Joey Daccord who helped his club snap a dreadful losing stretch where nothing seemed to go right for Seattle.
On paper, Daccord's numbers leave much to be desired as the 27-year-old from Boston holds only a .902 save percentage on the year, but it was more than encouraging to say the least that Daccord was able to record his first-ever NHL shutout against a high-flying Florida Panthers offense. Despite being in for an easier test against a rather inexperienced Blackhawks scoring unit, having Daccord serve as a human wall in the crease will prove to once again be a reliable formula for success. With starting goalie Philipp Grubauer having to be placed on IR last Monday, the Kraken will be depending on Daccord and other fellow backup in Chris Driedger to pick up the pace and keep this team afloat.
Despite the injury bug putting a firm grip in this team's goaltending room, look no further than Seattle's penalty-killing unit to step up big if they are going to cover the spread in impressive fashion. In their latest victory over the Panthers, it was the Kraken that were able to spoil a trio of Florida power-play chances which ultimately gave Seattle all of the momentum that they needed. At the moment, Seattle's offense is averaging only 2.57 scores per game, so the Kraken will need to stand tall on the defensive side of the ice the best way they can.
Final Blackhawks-Kraken Prediction & Pick
After going winless as the visiting team in their last seven outings away from home including scoring two goals or less in four consecutive road matchups, the Blackhawks simply do not have enough firepower to come out on top in this contest. All in all, it would be a wise selection to rely on Seattle to overwhelm Chicago with some steady play on both ends of the ice.
Final Blackhawks-Kraken Prediction & Pick: Kraken -1.5 (-104)
