2023 NHL Playoffs: Avalanche vs Kraken Series Prediction and Picks
Avalanche vs Kraken Series Prediction Preview
WagerTalk NHL handicapper Andy Lang breaks down his Avalanche vs Kraken series prediction giving expert betting analysis before Tuesday Game 1 puck drop at 10:00pm ET. The Kraken won the regular season series 2-1 with all games being decided by one goal.
Did you know that you can increase your winnings by 60% (or limit your losses similarly) over 100 equal sized bets simply by shopping for slightly better lines? So, why are you sticking with the same 1-2 sportsbooks? Sign up for more, find better lines, and get new bonuses. We’ve got ALL the best sportsbook bonuses in all legal states – check them out, collect a bonus, and shop for better lines!
Get A $1 Premium Expert Picks Package
First time at WagerTalk? Get your first daily picks package for ONLY $1 using coupon code NEWS1 when checking out! Click here to select your picks and then apply the best bargain of 2023 with coupon code NEWS1.
Are you subscribed to WagerTalk TV? If not, what are you waiting for?! Set up alerts so that you never miss an episode of your favorite shows. Drop the gloves with the Puck Time crew and swing for the fences on First Pitch. From betting tips to free picks, WagerTalk TV is your one-stop shop for streaming sports betting content.
Avalanche vs Kraken Betting Odds
| NHL Betting Notes | |
|---|---|
| Moneyline To Win Series: | Colorado Avalanche -300 vs Seattle Kraken +225 |
| Series Spread: | Avalanche -1.5 Games (-135) / Kraken +1.5 Games (+105) |
| Series Total Games: | Four (+475) Five (+240) Six (+220) Seven (+230) |
| Most Goals in Series: | Nathan Mackinnon +275 (Odds Above From DraftKings) |
| Featured Prop Bet: | Most Points in Series – Nathan Mackinnion (+150) |
$1250 On Us Offer from Caesars Sportsbook & $500 2nd Chance Free Bets from BetRivers
Caesars and BetRivers are known to offer excellent lines on NBA props and NBA point spreads. If you’re stuck using the same 1-2 sportsbooks over and over, you need to expand your sportsbooks! A small change in lines when you place your bet could result in a 60% increase in winnings over a month of normal betting. Shop around, bet smarter with your NBA betting.
Get Your Exclusive Caesars $1250 On Us Bonus!
Get Your Exclusive BetRivers $500 2nd Chance Bet Bonus!
Avalanche vs Kraken Betting Analysis
The Colorado Avalanche are the reigning Stanley Cup Champions but they aren’t exactly bitter rivals against the Seattle Kraken who have yet to appear in a single playoff game.
The Kraken didn’t have a successful inaugural campaign but finished their sophomore campaign 46-28-8 with 100 points.
The Avalanche finished the season on top of Central Division with a 51-24-7 record and 109 points. Seattle beat Colorado in both trips to Denver, they won both games 3-2, prevailing in regulation on October 21st and in overtime on March 5th.
The Avalanche recorded their lone victory against the Kraken in Seattle on January 21st, with Nathan MacKinnon scoring the shootout winner of a 2-1 game.
Avalanche vs Kraken – Top Scorers
Colorado Avalanche
Nathan MacKinnon 111 points
Mikko Rantanen 105 points
Cale Makar 66 points
Seattle Kraken
Jared McCann 70 points
Vince Dunn 64 points
Jordan Eberle 63 points
Avalanche vs Kraken on Offense
The Avalanche are known for being a dangerous offensive team, even without their captain Gabriel Landeskog.
Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen both eclipsed 100 points during the regular season but they certainly aren’t as deep as last year’s team.
They are down three of their top six scorers from last season as they will have to rely on new Acquisitions Evan Rodrigues and Denis Malgin.
The Kraken don’t have the same elite level talent as their playoff opponents but they are definitely happy to have 40 goal scorer Jared McCann on their side.
It’s amazing how much the 26 year-old center has bounced around from team to team before finally finding a home in Seattle.
The Kraken are deep at all three forward positions and Jared Schwartz, Yanni Gourde and Jordan Eberle have reputations as big game performers. Matty Bieners is an excellent young center who should win the Calder Trophy for the leagues top rookie.
Avalanche vs Kraken on Defense
When everyone is healthy, Colorado has one of the top defensive units in the NHL and they conceded the 8th fewest expected goal in 5-on-5 play this season.
Cale Makar may be the best defenseman in the league and he shined in the 2021-22 post-season with 29 points in 20 playoff games and an average of 27 minutes per night.
Devon Toews is as good a #2 defenseman as there is in the league and the 24 year-old Sam Girard set career high in goals and points this season.
The Kraken defense doesn’t have the high end talent like Colorado, but as a unit they proved to be very effective during the regular season. They actually allowed the 5th fewest expected goals per game this season.
Vince Dunn and Adam Larsson formed a formidable top pair all season long as Dunn exploded with 64 points in 81 games. Beyond that duo, the Kraken elected to run things by committee with no other defenseman averaging more than 20 minutes per game.
Avalanche vs Kraken Goaltending & Injuries
Philipp Grubauer spent three seasons with the Avalanche between 2018-21 before signing a six-year deal with Seattle as an unrestricted free agent.
The German keeper hasn’t exactly lived up to expectations going 17-14-4 with a 2.85 GA/G and .895 save percentage.
He did end the season on a high note with a 3-1-0 record and .941 save percentage in his last five appearances of the regular season. They could also turn to Martin Jones who won 27 of his 42 starts despite a sub-.900 save percentage.
The Avalanche proved that you you don’t necessarily need the best goaltender to win the cup and they let Darcy Kuemper walk in unrestricted free agency during the offseason.
They decided to sign former New York Rangers backup Alexandar Georgiev to take over in net. Georgiev responded with a 40-16-6 record, 2.53 GA/G and .919 save percentage in 62 games during the 2022-23 campaign. Colorado has the always reliable Pavel Francouz at their disposal if things break bad at any point.
The defending champions have dealt with a multitude of injuries during the regular season, most notably their team captain Gabriel Landeskog.
That’s 11 goals from last seasons playoff run gone but they have dealt with his absence all season long. What’s more concerning is the health of Cole Makar and Darren Helm who have both been out since April 1st. It remains unclear if either player will be available for Game 1.
The most notable absence for Seattle is Andre Burakovsky who has been recovering from a lower body injury since February 7th.
The Kraken announced that he will miss the start of the playoffs after undergoing a surgical procedure to address a nagging issue.
Avalanche vs Kraken Expert Prediction
The Avalanche are without their captain and the status of their top defenders status is uncertain. However the defending champs have dealt with injuries all season long and still plenty to work with offensively.
It would be easy to underestimate the Kraken considering they haven’t been here before. But they have solid players at nearly every position and their rowdy fan base will make it hard to win at Climate Pledge Arena.
Grubauer has had post-season success in his career but the majority of that came with the Avalanche. But if any teams knows his strengths and weaknesses it’s his former teammates.
The Avalanche came back from 14 points down in the standings in mid-January to win the Central Division crown and they didn’t win the Stanley Cup by accident last season.
Colorado is favored to win the series with -300 odds which has me looking at the series spread of -1.5 at -135. The Kraken will hang around but the Avalanche still have the better talent and more experience.
Prediction: Colorado Avalanche Series Spread -1.5 (games) -135 Draftkings
Top Sportsbooks. More Sportsbooks = Better Lines.
| Sportsbook | Welcome Bonus | States Available | Get Your Bonus |
| 1. Caesars | Get $1250 On Us | AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY | GET BONUS! |
| 2. BetRivers | $500 in Free Bets | AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, LA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VA, WV | GET BONUS! |
| 3. BetMGM | $1000 Paid BACK in Bonus Bets | AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY | GET BONUS! |
| 4. FanDuel | $1000 No Sweat First Bet | AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY | GET BONUS! |
| 5. DraftKings | $1000 Deposit Match | AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY | GET BONUS! |
| 6. Betway | $250 Free Bet | CO, IA, IN, NJ, PA | GET BONUS! |
| 7. Tipico | $250 Risk Free Bet | CO, IA, NJ, OH | GET BONUS! |
| 8. Superbook | $250 Risk Free Bet | AZ, CO, NJ, OH, TN | GET BONUS! |
| 9. Bet365 | Bet $1, Get $200 in Free Bets | CO, NJ, OH, VA | GET BONUS! |
| 10. SI Sportsbook | Bet $20, Get $200 in Free Bets | MI, VA | GET BONUS! |
| 11. Wynnbet | Bet $50, Get $100 Free Bets | AZ, CO, IN, LA, MI, NJ, NY, TN, VA | GET BONUS! |
| 12. Unibet | $100 Free Bet | AZ, IN, NJ, PA, VA | GET BONUS! |
Puck Time | NHL Betting Preview
Join Carmine Bianco and Andrew McInnis for Puck Time as our panel of professional hockey handicappers break down tonight’s NHL betting card. Join the Puck Time crew every week day at 11am ET / 8am PT as we discuss the NHL betting slate from a variety of handicapping angles.
NHL Live Odds Screen
WagerTalk’s Live Odds Screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the moneylines, pucklines, totals and betting percentages for all of NHL action, including this Avalanche vs Kraken first round NHL playoff matchup, from your desktop or phone.
Get A $1 Premium Expert Picks Package
First time at WagerTalk? Get your first daily picks package for ONLY $1 using coupon code NEWS1 when checking out! Click here to select your picks and then apply the best bargain of 2023 with coupon code NEWS1.
**************************************************
Meet the Author
Andy Lang has lived in Indianapolis his whole life, and like most people from the Hoosier State, he became fascinated with motor sports. That interest in motor sports turned into a desire to make money off the sport through fantasy contests and sports betting. Like most, he took his lumps when he first got started, but now he is one of the most respected NASCAR bettors in the industry. Andy has expanded that sports betting experience to become profitable in a number of other sports, transforming this interest from a side hobby to a major source of income.
Looking for more free sports picks and sports betting tips?
- Latest Betting Odds and Public Action: Vegas lines updated in real time, including who the public is betting on.
- Last Minute Handicapping Advice: Check out our extensive library of handicapping tips and advice from professional Vegas handicappers (we also recommend taking the time to look over our sports betting tips video library)
- Want an expert opinion? Check out the latest Free Sports Picks and Best Bets from our team of expert sports handicappers.
Make sure to bookmark all the above!
