Predators vs. Kraken prediction, odds, pick, how to watch
The Predators and Kraken will each be looking to gain some momentum and pick up a win when the puck drops on Thursday night.
Who's ready for some more Thursday night hockey? The Nashville Predators will make a trip to the Pacific Northwest to do battle with the Seattle Krakenseries where our Predators-Kraken prediction and pick will be made.
The Predators enter play with a losing 4-5 record, which includes an underwhelming 1-3 mark away from their home building, Nashville is keeping their fingers crossed that they can put together a complete game in a hostile environment to get back on track as the season continues to progress.
As of late, the Predators have lost two of their last three games to the Vancouver Canucks. But they did happen to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs in a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory. Will Nashville become more consistent starting tonight on the road?
On the other hand, the Kraken are also off to a slower start than expected to start the season. They entered the season coming off of their first ever playoff series win in a thrilling upset over the Colorado Avalanche. However, the Kraken have come out of the gates in sluggish fashion and have lost three of their last five games overall. Still, Seattle did happen to overcome the Tampa Bay Lightning with a 4-3 OT triumph back on Monday.
Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Predators-Kraken Odds
Nashville Predators: +1.5 (-255)
Seattle Kraken: -1.5 (+205)
Over: 5.5 (-122)
Under: 5.5 (+102)
How to Watch Predators vs. Kraken
Time: 10:10 ET/7:10 PT
TV: ESPN
Why The Predators Will Cover The Spread/Win
The biggest reason why the Predators have what it takes to go into enemy territory and shock the Kraken will be due to a rock-solid defensive force that is allowing under three goals per contest. Of course, the most lethal part of this team is in between the pipes with goalie Juuse Saros.
Already with a shutout performance next to his name, Saros is playing at one of the highest levels of his career. Fresh off of a 33-save performance in the overtime win against Toronto, Saros is the real deal. If the 28 year-old from Finland acts as a human wall later this evening, then trouble will follow for the Kraken.
Most importantly, Nashville hasn't spent too much time in the penalty box this season and have not become prone to shooting themselves in the foot. Without a doubt, Nashville is much better than what their record suggests, and Seattle won't be able to afford to take them lightly.
Above all else, the masterful play of dynamic duo Filip Forsberg and Ryan O'Reilly is as good as they come. If these two get hot, then there might not be anything that the Kraken can do to cool them off.
Why The Kraken Will Cover The Spread/Win
After playing seven of their first ten games of the season away from the road, it's no surprise that the Kraken are more than ready for some home cooking. Even more encouraging for the Kraken's chances in this one is the fact that goalie Philipp Grubauer finally snapped out of his slump with a 34-save effort which turned out to be his first victory in his last five tries.
With plenty of success under his belt during his time in the NHL, Seattle is more than aware of what the 31-year-old German is capable of. On paper, Grubauer owns a sluggish .901 save percentage, but it would also not be surprising to see fellow net-minder Joey Daccord get the starting nod with slightly better numbers through the team's first ten games. Without a doubt, whoever ends up in net will need to bring their A game against a Predators offense that has enough star power to find the back of the net more often than not.
In addition, but there is reason to believe that getting shutout by the Predators in their opening game of the season will be fresh on their minds and should only motivate them to come out with a purpose.
Final Predators-Kraken Prediction & Pick
In what will be a rematch of the season opener between these two clubs, it wouldn't be a surprise if the intensity between each side reaches postseason-like levels. However, at the end of the day, the Predators top lines are far more trustworthy than what the Kraken have showed up to this point.
If Seattle falls behind the eight-ball early, then it may end up being difficult to play catch up the remainder of the contest for an offense that is scoring only 2.40 goals per contest. Put your faith in Nashville to withstand the Seattle home crowd to get the job done.
Final Predators-Kraken Prediction & Pick: Nashville Predators +1.5 (-255)
