Kraken vs Avalanche Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for NHL Playoffs Game 1 (Colorado Spoils Seattle's Playoff Debut)

Kraken vs Avalanche Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for NHL Playoffs Game 1 (Colorado Spoils Seattle's Playoff Debut)

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The 2022-23 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs continue on Tuesday, April 18. One exciting matchup on the day is Game 1 of the Seattle Kraken vs. Colorado Avalanche series, which takes place at Ball Arena at 10 p.m. ET.

Kraken vs Avalanche Game 1 Info

  • Date: Tuesday, April 18, 2023
  • Time: 10 p.m. ET
  • Venue: Ball Arena -- Denver, Colorado
  • Coverage: ESPN

As Western Conference foes, the Kraken and Avalanche collided three times during the 2022-23 regular season. Surprisingly, Seattle won two of the matchups, leaving time to tell if that was just a fluke or if it can recreate those results in the postseason.

Can the Kraken end their first-ever playoff game with a victory? Or will the Avalanche prove why they're the defending Stanley Cup Champions?

Kraken vs Avalanche Odds & Spread

  • All NHL betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
  • Moneyline: SEA: (+162) | COL: (-196)
  • Spread: SEA: +1.5 (-150) | COL: -1.5 (+126)
  • Total: 6.5 -- Over: (+108) | Under: (-132)

The Avalanche enter this contest as home favorites on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 10 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 6.5 goals with the under being favored at -132 odds. 

Kraken vs Avalanche Betting Trends

  • Seattle is 9-3 straight up in its last 12 road games.
  • Colorado is 12-2 straight up in its last 14 games against the Western Conference.
  • The total has hit the under in four of Seattle's last five games.
  • The total has hit the under in four of Colorado's last five games against Seattle.

Kraken vs Avalanche Prediction & Pick

The Kraken may have won the regular-season series, but the Stanley Cup Playoffs are another animal. The Avalanche have already been to the top of the mountain and taken home the top prize. With a team boasting elite talents like Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar, few teams can match Colorado's star power.

The Avalanche also have momentum after going 9-1-1 to close out the campaign, whereas the Kraken lost their final two games by a combined score of 7-2. Scoring goals won't be easy against Colorado goaltender Alexandar Georgiev, who's 10-2-1 with a 2.06 goals-against average, .929 save percentage and one shutout in his last 13 starts.

After being embarrassed by the Kraken during the regular season, the Avalanche will exact revenge in Game 1.

Final Score Prediction: Avalanche: 4 | Kraken: 2

Kraken vs Avalanche Best Bet

If high-scoring affairs are your thing, this game isn't for you. The Kraken and Avalanche averaged just 4 combined goals in their three previous encounters this season -- significantly less than the game's 6.5-goal total. On top of that, the under is 4-1 in Seattle's last five outings as well as 4-2 in Colorado's latest six Tuesday games.

With the under also being 21-17-3 at Ball Arena this year, expecting less offense is the right call for this matchup.

Bet: Under 6.5 Goals (-132)

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.