New Jersey Devils vs Seattle Kraken Odds, Picks and Prediction

insidersbettingdigest.com

07 December 2023

New Jersey Devils vs Seattle Kraken Odds, Picks and Prediction

The Seattle Kraken (8-12-6), fifth in the NHL standings for the Pacific Division, host the New Jersey Devils (12-10-1) in the last to start of the 13 NHL matchups on a busy NHL schedule today. Seattle has lost five in a row and is at risk of becoming among the NHL picks in the draft lottery, whereas the Devils are 4-1 in their last five games.

Devils vs Kraken Picks

Moneyline: Devils -155
Over/Under: Over 6.5 (-109)

Vitek Vanecek (3.60 GAA, .877 save percentage) is expected to start in goal for the Devils, while Philipp Grubauer (3.35 GAA, .883 save percentage) is likely to start in goal for the Kraken. Let’s take a closer look at the Devils vs Kraken odds and some predictions for the game.

New Jersey Devils vs. Seattle Kraken Odds

New Jersey is the betting favorite in Devils vs Kraken odds with moneyline odds of -155 and puck line odds of -1.5 (+150). The over/under is 6.5. Seattle has NHL odds of +125 for the moneyline and +1.5 (-190) for the puck line.

Devils vs. Kraken Information

New Jersey Devils vs Seattle Kraken

Location of the game: Climate Pledge Arena. Seattle, Washington.

Date & Time: Thursday, November 7. 10:30 p.m. ET

How to Watch: ESPN+

New Jersey Devils vs. Seattle Kraken Betting Preview

Devils Need Much Better Goaltending

For as good as their offense has been this season – New Jersey is fourth in NHL stats for goals per game (3.7) and T5th in shots (33) – the New Jersey Devils odds are heavily impacted by their poor goaltending.

The Devils, which entered the season as one of the NHL picks to win the Stanley Cup, rank 31st in goals allowed (3.78), despite being 11th in shots allowed (29.6). Their poor penalty-kill (75 percent) hasn’t helped, but the big problem has been the play of Vanecek and Akira Schmid, both of whom have a GAA above 3.25 and save percentages below .900.

The New Jersey Devils also have a few players underperforming, including off-season signing Timo Meier and Dawson Mercer, who have just 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Jack Hughes leads the team in NHL player stats with 33 points (10 goals, 23 assists) and is among the NHL picks today to win the Art Ross Trophy. His brother Luke, a rookie defenseman, has 15 points (4 goals, 11 assists), including five points in his last five games.

New Jersey has several players injured, including Dougie Hamilton, Tomas Nosek, and Nolan Foote.

Kraken Struggling to Find Identity

Last year, the Seattle Kraken schedule didn’t seem so bad as the team had a defined identity and worked hard every shift to grind down its opponents. That identity isn’t there this season and, to a point, the Seattle Kraken simply haven’t been as lucky as last year.

They rank 18th in shots (30.5), but 29th in goals (2.65) and 30th in shooting percentage (8.7). They also have goaltending concerns, with Grubauer playing well below expectation. Backup Joey Daccord hasn’t been much better. It’s no surprise they’re underdogs in Devils vs Kraken odds.

During their five-game losing streak, the Kraken have been outscored 19-9. Their last victory was a 7-1 win over the San Jose Sharks on November 22. Vince Dunn leads the team in scoring with 21 points (4 goals, 17 assists).

Jaden Schwarz and Andre Burakovsky are on the NHL injury report. Schwartz recently suffered an upper-body injury and is expected to be out six weeks.