Avalanche vs Kraken Game 3 | NHL Odds, Preview, Prediction

Avalanche vs Kraken Game 3 | NHL Odds, Preview, Prediction article feature image
Credit:

John McCreary/NHLI via Getty Images. Pictured: Colorado Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev

  • Seattle hosts a playoff game for the first time in its history as Colorado visits for Game 3 on Saturday night.
  • This series is tied at one and our expert has a pick for Avalanche vs Kraken Game 3.
  • Greg Liodice feels there's value on the total and details his best bet below.

Avalanche vs. Kraken Game 3 Odds

Avalanche Odds-150
Kraken Odds+125
Over/Under5.5 (-122/+100)
Time10 p.m. ET
TVTBS
Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here.

For the first time in 100 years, playoff hockey will be played in Seattle.

The defending champion Colorado Avalanche will take on the Seattle Kraken in Game 3. Colorado surprisingly lost Game 1 at home, but recovered in Game 2.

Seattle has surprised a lot of people with its massive turnaround from last year. However, it'll need a lot more from its top players as both Games 1 and 2 were dominated from a possession standpoint.

Here’s a look at the odds, as well as my betting prediction for Game 3 of the Colorado Avalanche vs Seattle Kraken in the NHL Playoffs.

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Colorado Avalanche

It looked like the Avalanche got their jump back in the middle of Game 2. After getting stifled in Game 1, they got rescued by Artturi Lehkonen, Devon Toews, Valeri Nichushkin and Mikko Rantanen. I’m expecting Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar to have more of a presence as the series progresses.

Colorado needed to figure out how to run its offense without captain Gabriel Landeskog and the Avalanche have certainly done so. In both games, the Avalanche played to a 54.26 xGF% (expected goals), but the power play hasn’t connected yet. They had the sixth-best PP (24.9%) all season long, so I expect it to pick up soon.

Defensively, the Avalanche have an embarrassment of riches. Not only are they deep, they’re also efficient with a 2.55 xGA/60 and have been perfect on the PK.

Alexandar Georgiev had a remarkable first season as a full-time starter, but playing with the defending champs is a tall task. Even so, he’s had a pretty respectable performance through two games. He’s playing to a .915 SV% with a -0.3 goals saved above expected (GSAx). He also had a major save toward the end of the second period as he stopped a 3-on-1 chance and helped the Avalanche create momentum.


Seattle Kraken

Seattle’s roster is sneaky good and has a ton of depth. Eeli Tolvanen has been a wonderful pickup and scored the first playoff goal in Kraken history. I'm expecting 40-goal scorer Jared McCann, rookie Matty Beniers and defenseman Vince Dunn — Seattle’s leading scorers all season — to step up as they've been held pointless in this series.

Seattle has had a fairly efficient even-strength offense throughout the season, but it hasn’t been up to its usual standard in these playoffs. The Kraken are playing to a 51.71 xGF% and the power play, which was never that good, has yet to convert.

In regards to defense, the Avalanche have dominated the Kraken’s defense. Seattle is 13th among playoff teams with a 3.02 xGA/60 and the penalty kill has drastically improved as the season progressed.

Ever since he arrived in Seattle, Philipp Grubauer has been volatile. He has struggled for the most part, but in the past month, he’s fared very well. Grubauer is playing to a wonderful .947 SV% and a +2.5 GSAx in this series.


Avalanche vs. Kraken Pick

Goaltending may be the difference in this series. In each game these teams have played, including the regular season, the total has been less than five goals.

I have been very impressed Grubauer over the first two games. The German netminder might be finding his footing after a rough one-and-a-half years as he’s played to a .933 SV% in his past seven starts.

Georgiev’s resume speaks for itself. He was a solid backup on the Rangers and is now a legitimate starter in his first year in Denver. Given how many of Seattle's top scorers have been held scoreless, as well as Colorado's elite defense, and it's looking like there's value on the under in Game 3.

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About the Author
Greg is a native of Long Island, NY and a Hofstra Alum. He's a writer for Action Network who focuses mainly on the NHL. When he's not outside with his dog, Kiki, you can find him yelling at the TV if his New York Islanders aren't getting the job done.

Follow Greg Liodice @Gregasus14 on Twitter/X.

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