What a turnaround it has been for the Seattle Kraken, who were among the three worst teams in the league a season ago. Now they head to play the New York Rangers, as each team is in a playoff position in the NHL standings. One of the marquee games on the NHL schedule today gets treated as such.
However, the trends after the All-Star break have been very different. Here is what fans need to know, with a breakdown of each team, the odds, and other useful information before Kraken vs Rangers betting commences.
Seattle Kraken vs. New York Rangers Matchup Information
Seattle Kraken (29-17-5) vs New York Rangers (29-14-8)
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY.
Date and Time: Friday, February 10th, 2023, 7:00 PM ET.
How to Watch: NHL Network | Sportsnet | ROOT
Seattle Kraken vs. New York Rangers Odds
Seattle Kraken
Moneyline: Kraken +155 – It makes sense that Seattle is again the underdogs, but those NHL odds seem steep, given how close games have been in this series.
Spread: +1.5 (-160) – The Kraken have played competitively in the last two games against the Rangers, so this game should again be tight. The Kraken are 30-21 against the spread this season.
Over/Under: O6 (-115) – Interesting that every game in the series has gone under, yet the better lines are for the under. The Kraken are 20-27 on over/under this season.
New York Rangers
Moneyline: Rangers -185 – The New York Rangers record on home ice is 15-9-3-1, so a favorable line makes some sense, despite losing at Seattle earlier this season. The Rangers have four straight wins at home.
Spread: -1.5 (+135) – The first meeting between the two teams is the only game decided by more than one goal. The Rangers are 24-27 against the spread this season.
Over/Under: U6 (-105) – New York has a powerful offense, and that has been on display, though only three of their last five games have gone over. They are 22-28 on over/under this season.
Recent Scores for Last Game
There have only been three NHL matchups between these two organizations since the Kraken’s inception.
The Rangers swept last season’s series by a combined three goals. But the Kraken got a 3-2 overtime victory on November 17th, 2022, to earn their first win over the Original Six franchise in program history. The Kraken were +127 on the moneyline. The under has cashed in all three meetings with five goals in the last two games each to cash Under 6.
Seattle Kraken vs. New York Rangers Analysis
The Seattle Kraken’s is Rising from the Depths
One of the great turnarounds has been the Seattle Kraken standings from third worst in points to now second in the Pacific Division with already more points than last season.
The Kraken has capitalized on their opportunities offensively and made things difficult on opponents defensively. Seattle is sixth in scoring 3.5 goals per game despite ranking 23rd with 30.1 shots on goal per game. The Kraken are 22nd on the power play, scoring 19.7% of the time.
On the other end of the ice, they are 16th in allowing 3.1 goals per game yet rank third in holding teams to 28.0 shots on goal per game. Though they are second last at killing off 71.9% of power plays afforded to opponents.
The Kraken likely won’t be popular among NHL picks, though, due to the NHL injury report, which says that left wing Andre Burakovsky is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury.
Burakovsky has only played 21 seconds since the All-Star break. He has 39 points in 49 games with 13 goals and 26 assists. His points lead the team as he is one of six players with at least 30 points, though he is tied for third in assists.
Seattle also lists goalie Chris Driedger (knee) out until the middle of February and right winger Joonas Danskoi out indefinitely while dealing with a concussion.
Philipp Grubauer is the Kraken’s probable goalie. He is 5-9-2 with a 2.97 goals-against average, and a 0.898 save percentage.
The New York Rangers’ Winning Streak Fueled by Elite Defense
The Rangers are winners of three straight, and NHL stats show the Rangers continue to sport an elite defense. They are third in allowing 2.6 goals per game and eighth in allowing 29.4 shots on goal per game. Their penalty kill is 11th, doing so 81.1% of the time.
The Rangers’ offense has been very good, too. They are 13th in scoring 3.2 goals per game and 10th with 32.6 shots on goal per game. New York is 18th on the power play, though, converting 21.4% of the time.
Three players have really helped the offensive attack, NHL player stats show. Center Mika Zibanejad is tied with left-wing Artemi Panarin with 53 points to lead the team. Zibanejad leads the team in goals with 25, while Panarin’s 41 assists are the best on the team. Defenseman Adam Fox has 49 points off of 39 assists.
Igor Shesterkin is the probable goalie for the Rangers. He has been outstanding with a 22-8-7 record, 2.47 goals against average, 0.917 save percentage, and he has one shutout on the season.
The Rangers made a splash to bolster their attack by adding Vladimir Tarasenko. The veteran right winger has ten goals and 19 assists and was a -18 in 38 games with the St. Louis Blues, with whom he won a Stanley Cup championship.
Here is a look at Kraken vs. Rangers betting odds.
Seattle Kraken vs. New York Rangers Betting Pick and Prediction
Those making NHL picks today show 77% of public bets are on the Rangers to win outright while 58% are on the under. It is hard to see the Kraken vs. Rangers betting trends – as little data as there is – and not side with the under.
Both teams have played each other incredibly tight, and there is not a big reason that should change.
Pick 1: Rangers -185 – We’ll take the easy cash here with the Rangers on home ice, especially if they are able to get Tarasenko some ice time and have him in the new system. The offensive attack seems like it would just be too much.
Pick 2: Under 6 – You probably saw this coming, but there is no reason to bet the over based on recent trends, and Burakovsky’s injury gives even more reason to go under.
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