NHL Odds, Preview, Prediction: Blues vs. Kraken — St. Louis Should Stifle Seattle (October 19)

Blues vs. Kraken Odds

We have a Western Conference tilt for Wednesday's TNT nightcap as the Pacific Division's Seattle Kraken host the Central Division's St. Louis Blues. Last season, St. Louis won all three meetings between these two clubs.

Will the Blues take care of business once again, or can the Kraken pull off the upset as a home underdog?

Blues Becoming a Nightmare For Opposing Offenses Early

After starting the season off with a 5-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Blues look to keep the strong start going against Seattle.

St. Louis' defense was outstanding in their first outing, as they surrendered just 1.13 expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60) at 5v5, a figure which currently leads the league.

Backing up this strong defensive effort was the sound goaltending of Jordan Binnington, who allowed two goals on 25 shots for a .920 SV%. Last season, Binnington went 18-14-4 with a .901 SV% and 3.13 GAA.

While last year was sort of a down season for Binnington, there was a lot of chatter about how his confidence was shot when Ville Husso basically stole his job with his outstanding play. Now slated to be the full time starter once again with Husso's move to Detroit, Binnington has the potential to be a shut-down netminder if he regains the confidence he used to have.

St. Louis' special teams also looked strong against the Blue Jackets as they went 1-3 on the power play and killed both penalties. These figures should not be shocking considering that they finished last season second in the league in PP% and fifth in PK% under coach Craig Berube.

Cracks in the Foundation For the Kraken

The Seattle Kraken have not had the strongest start to the season, as they are just 1-2-1 through the first four contests. Their last two games have been particularly concerning, as they have scored two or fewer goals in each while averaging 28 shots on net.

Offense was a massive problem last season for Seattle. At 5v5, they ranked just 28th in goals for (GF) and 31st in xGF.

Over the offseason, they acquired Andre Burakovsky and Oliver Bjorkstrand to address this issue. Those are two incredibly talented top-six forwards that have already been difference-makers for this team as they have combined for seven points over the first four games.

However, the offensive depth on this team is concerning, as the bottom six have not produced at all. While I am bullish on the Kraken improving offensively this season with the acquisitions of the two aforementioned wingers and the emergence of rookie centerman Matty Beniers, the rest of the forward group could be a hinderance on this team's scoring ability.

Blues vs. Kraken Pick

St. Louis did an excellent job shutting down Columbus in their opener, and they should be able to find success once again in this matchup. The Blues are much more rested than Seattle as they have not played since Saturday while the Kraken just lost 5-1 to Carolina on Monday night.

Boasting a very experienced blue line with the likes of Colton Parayko, Torey Krug, and Justin Faulk, this St. Louis team will look for back-to-back shut down defensive performances. We should also expect a much better year from Binnington now that it is his net to lose.

Burakovsky, Beniers, Bjorkstand, and McCann should be good for 1-2 goals for the Kraken in this game, but the lack of depth may cap the team at that number. Over Seattle's three games against the Blues last season, they scored one or fewer goals each time.

Pick: Seattle Kraken TT Under 2.5 (+110) | Play up to (-105)