Blue Jackets vs Kraken Picks, Predictions & Odds Tonight

Covers

28 January 2024

Blue Jackets vs Kraken Picks, Predictions & Odds Tonight

While the Kraken have been as short as -275 on the moneyline, we're not sure they're worthy of that inflated price. Find out why in our NHL betting picks below.

Photo By - USA TODAY Sports

The Seattle Kraken are alive in the West's Wild Card picture, but a current 1-4-1 skid can’t last much longer if they want to stay.

On Sunday, they’ll host a Columbus Blue Jackets side that’s suffered a brutal collapse Saturday night in a loss to the Canucks.

They have just three wins in their last 11 games and own the second-fewest points in the Eastern Conference. That’s a big reason why they’re given +180 underdog status in the NHL odds.

Read below as I break down this cross-conference matchup and offer my free NHL picks for Blue Jackets vs. Kraken.

Blue Jackets vs Kraken odds

Blue Jackets vs Kraken predictions

After stopping a four-game slide with a win over the Blackhawks, the Seattle Kraken could not double up, losing last time out to the Blues in overtime.

After building a 3-1 before the midway point of the second period, Seattle couldn't hold on, giving up three straight, including Pavel Buchnevich’s winner in the extra frame.

Lighting the lamp has been a problem all year for the Kraken, who are averaging just 2.81 goals per game, a Bottom-6 mark in the NHL this season. That wasn’t the case in their lone meeting against the Columbus Blue Jackets this season, as the Kraken went into Columbus and hammered the Jackets 7-4 two weeks ago.

Jared McCann had two goals and an assist, as the Kraken matched their season-high for scoring output. The win extended their season-best streak to nine games before they fell into this recent slide. Defensively, Seattle does sit inside the Top 10 of goals against, surrendering just 2.9 per game.

Columbus will have to regroup after their 5-4 OT loss in Vancouver. The Blue Jackets entered the third period with a 4-1 lead but watched that lead evaporate in less than seven minutes under a hail of powerplay goals. Elias Petterson ended it with just under a minute to go in overtime.

Now CBJ has to play on back-to-back nights. While that should figure to be a disadvantage, it’s about the only thing Columbus has been successful at this season, going a competitive 3-1-2 playing on the second night of a back-to-back.

Seattle has won three straight head-to-head meetings, winning by at least two goals in each. Save for that 6-2 win over the Blackhawks, though, Seattle has scored two or fewer goals in four of their five losses.

With the Kraken not exactly at their peak level, I think the Blue Jackets can keep things close.

My best bet: Blue Jackets +1.5 (-133 at SIA)

Blue Jackets vs Kraken same-game parlay

Blue Jackets +1.5

Jared McCann anytime goalscorer

Under 6.5

To turn this into an SGP, let’s target Seattle’s leading goal scorer in Jared McCann. The 27-year-old winger has 19 goals on the season and has tallied five times in his last seven games, including the two-goal effort against these same Jackets.

In fact, McCann has four goals in five career games against Columbus and will be looking to light the lamp in a third straight matchup.

We’ve already mentioned Seattle’s inability to score, but Columbus isn’t much better, ranking 21st at 2.96 goals per game. Even after crossing the total against Vancouver, the Over is only 4-6-1 over the Jackets’ last 11 games.

The Under has hit in two of the last three, and three times in five meetings overall.

Best NHL bonuses for Blue Jackets vs Kraken

Get one no-sweat SGP every day
Bonus bets back if you don’t win! Claim Now

Wager $5 on any market
Get $158 in bonus bets! Claim Now

Blue Jackets vs Kraken moneyline and Over/Under analysis

The Kraken have been as short as -275 favorites on the moneyline, but that’s come down throughout the evening, with odds as low as -205. Columbus has touched +200 odds as an underdog, but most sites have them in the +180 range.

The Kraken own a 10-9-4 record at home, while the Jackets are just 6-10-6 on the road this year.

As for the total, Blue Jackets-Kraken has been as high as 6.5 goals, which will happen when one of the teams ranks as the second worst team in goals against, as Columbus is.

The Blue Jackets are giving up 3.7 goals per game, with only the Sharks surrendering more. It’s no surprise, then, that their Over record is 23-21-3.

Seattle has a losing O/U record, with the Under dgoing 24-21-3 this season.