Coyotes vs. Kraken Odds
| Coyotes Odds | +240 |
| Kraken Odds | -300 |
| Over/Under | 6.5 (-105/-115) |
| Time | 10 p.m. ET |
| TV | ROOT-NW |
| Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
Looking to further solidify their grasp on their first playoff spot in franchise history, the Seattle Kraken wrap up a three-game homestand on Monday with a visit from the Arizona Coyotes.
With just five games remaining on their schedule, the Coyotes are all-but-eliminated from postseason contention. They're also mired in a seven-game losing streak, during which they are 0-5-2.
On the other side, consistency has been an issue for the Kraken. They have been on a win-one, lose-one track for their past nine games.
Which side will prevail Monday? Here's a preview and betting pick for Coyotes vs. Kraken.
Arizona Coyotes
It hasn't been all doom and gloom in the desert this season. With 67 points in 77 games, the Coyotes have already improved 10 points from last year. Additionally, leading scorer Clayton Keller is a deserving candidate for the Masterton Trophy as he came back from a devastating broken leg late last season and has played every game this year, while setting career highs with 36 goals and 82 points.
Keller was also just named the NHL's third star for March, but it's a new month and he had a 14-game point streak snapped in the Coyotes' 7-2 home loss to the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night.
The Coyotes haven't been able to win a game since stringing together a 6-0-2 stretch earlier in March. Their expected goals share at 5-on-5 over their past 10 games has been decent (49.89%) and their power play has also been pretty good over the past three games (3-for-8). However, Arizona has been giving up a ton of power plays and the team's penalty kill has been abysmal. The Coyotes have given up 11 goals while shorthanded over the past six games, including three to the Sharks on Saturday.
After stealing some games earlier in the season, goaltender Karel Vejmelka has been shaky lately. He has only started four of Arizona's past 10 games and those have all been losses. He's likely to get the nod Monday night.
Seattle Kraken
Seattle's improvement is even more pronounced than Arizona's as the Kraken are up from 60 points in their inaugural campaign to 90 — with seven games left to play. The Kraken haven't clinched their playoff spot yet, but are 4-4-2 in the past 10 games and wild-card berth looks likely.
On Saturday night, Seattle dropped a 3-1 decision to the Kings. Over the past month, the club has logged just two wins against teams in playoff position.
The Kraken have continued to excel at puck possession. Over their past 10 games, they're third in the NHL with a 59.6% expected goals share at 5-on-5, and they've been limiting their opponents to a league-low average of just 23.9 shots per game. Their penalty kill has struggled all season, but they have been doing a good job of limiting their opponents to an average of just 2.5 power-play opportunities pre game over the past 10 games, and have given up just one goal while shorthanded in their past five contests.
Martin Jones has made the past two starts in net for Seattle and played well in those outings, giving up just three goals in total. But the Kraken are going into a back-to-back, also playing in Vancouver on Tuesday. As of Sunday evening, it's not clear how coach Dave Hakstol will split the goaltending assignments.
Coyotes vs. Kraken Pick
Believe it or not, Monday's matchup will be the first meeting of the year between the Kraken and Coyotes. They'll also play Thursday in Seattle before finishing up on Monday, April 10 at Mullett Arena in Tempe.
We don't have any recent history to guide us, but we shouldn't need it. Even when they're at their best, the Coyotes need to be opportunistic when it comes to scoring, and Seattle doesn't give up much these days.
Look for the home side to continue its win-one, lose-one pattern with another win on Monday night. To increase your betting value, take a long look at the puck line.
Pick: Kraken -1.5 |
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