NHL: Chicago Blackhawks vs Seattle Kraken Odds Preview
The Hawks will play without Bedard for some time; Kraken 4-points behindÂ
The Wednesday NHL Hockey schedule ends with a certain snoozefest, but let’s try to make it compelling. The Chicago Blackhawks (14-31-2, 30 points) will continue their road trip after a 2-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks to start a four-game West Coast excursion.
The Seattle Kraken (19-18-9, 47 points) have lost four straight games with each as an underdog. This is the second of a four-game homestand for the Kraken who are in must-win territory to keep pace with the wild card leaders in the West. Oddsmakers have made Seattle a -280 favorite with a total of 5.5 (over -115).
NHL betting odds have moved since to -270 and 5.5 (over -115). Puck is scheduled to drop at Climate Pledge Arena at 10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT and can be seen on TNT.
Blackhawks vs Kraken 
Day/Time:
Location: Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, WA
Streaming: Watch Live Sports
Chicago Still Playing Hard Despite Horrific Season
The Blackhawks dropped a 2-0 decision to the Vancouver Canuck last time out, handing Chicago another loss in a season filled with them. When it comes to pulling the trigger on the Hawks or any other NHL team that requires hope and a prayer, you must know what kind of effort a team is giving, and when it comes to Chicago, bettors will get an A+ effort on most nights.
Against the Canucks, the Blackhawks were even in five-on-five scoring chances (27-27) and Chicago had the overall shot advantage, 31-29. We know Chicago has to be more aggressive in their defensive zone but a team like Vancouver will make you pay for that but a team like the Kraken will not. We talk all the time about special teams and how important it is to cash tickets.
Chicago was 0-5 against Vancouver with the man advantage but should have more of a chance against the Kraken whose kill rate is just 79.7% this season. Of course, the elephant in the room is the loss of young superstar Connor Bedard who will be out until mid-March with a broken jaw.
In his absence, the Hawks have focused on defensive hockey, something they’re not very good at. We continue our Blackhawks vs Kraken hockey odds preview by turning our attention to Seattle.
Too Early For A Must-Win?
With Seattle four points behind the Nashville Predators for the last wild card spot, some early NHL games are must-wins. To make it just a little bigger for the Kraken, this is a revenge spot after losing to Chicago, 4-3, at the United Center.
Chicago always gives the Kraken problems after accumulating points in four of their eight all-time meetings. Seattle has lost four straight NHL games, all coming as an underdog. Not only have they developed another losing streak, but the games haven’t been close after being outscored 15-5.
There have been various reasons why the Kraken haven’t achieved the success they had hoped for starting with NHL injuries to five key NFL players in addition to the suspension of Yanni Gourde who will be out until Friday against the St. Louis Blues.
Seattle also may be without Oliver Bjorkstrand who was out while dealing with a personal issue. He was not at practice yesterday and it’s unclear if he’ll suit up tonight. We conclude our Blackhawks vs Kraken hockey odds preview with our official selection.
Kraken The Play But Too Rich For Our Bankroll
We’re not in the mood to bet a massive favorite like the Kraken with all their issues, even against the Chicago Blackhawks, so we’re going to jump on the total of 5.5 and the over. Petr Mrazek (12-17-2, 3.01 GA, .907 save percentage) gets the start for the Blackhawks against Joey Daccord (13-8-8, 2.33 GA, .922).
Both net-minders have played well of late but we’re not going to rely on the Blackhawks’ defense to keep the scoring down. Not only does Seattle have to win but needs to win impressively. Take the over 5.5 in what should be one of the most entertaining NHL scores of the night.
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