NHL Odds, Pick, Prediction: Kraken vs. Blues (Jan. 13)

Kraken vs. Blues Odds

The Seattle Kraken's struggles continue and I don't see it getting any better for them tonight in St. Louis, especially in the second game of a back-to-back.

The Blues look like a legitimate contender, have won four of their last five and, on paper, shouldn't have any problems with a struggling team.

The Kraken Are Hopeless

The Seattle Kraken simply can't buy a win right now. Seattle played a strong game and nearly pulled off the upset against the Avalanche on Monday, but the team couldn't carry the momentum into Dallas, where the Kraken lost 5-2.

It's now a seven-game losing streak for Seattle going back to Dec. 14.

The Kraken are still playing decent defense, but the rest of the team is in shambles. The offense is creating the second-fewest high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes and no team generates fewer expected goals at 5-on-5 than Seattle right now.

Seattle allows the second-fewest high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes at 5-on-5, but the goaltending has been such a disaster that, despite decent defensive metrics, Seattle is allowing the most goals per game in the NHL (3.71).

Philipp Grubauer got the start for Seattle in Dallas, so it'll likely be Chris Driedger in goal for the Kraken on Thursday. Driedger is 3-4-0 on the season with an .892 save percentage (SV%) and a -3.7 Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAx).

The Blues Are a Contender

With four wins from their last five games, the Blues come into Thursday night in great form. Since returning from the league-wide pause, St. Louis has scored 20 goals and allowed 13 against in five games, and the team's offensive depth is showing up in spades.

All three of St. Louis' top lines are playing at a top-line level this season and the team's scoring depth is almost unmatched around the league. The Blues are sixth in the NHL in goals per game (3.44) and have the fifth-best goal differential in the league at the moment.

What's even more impressive is that St. Louis has skated to a 21-10-5 record despite a bunch of injuries throughout the season. Now that the team is almost fully healthy (Vladimir Tarasenko and Colton Parayko are questionable on Thursday), we could see the Notes surge even further up the standings as we move into the stretch run.

Jordan Binnington will almost certainly get the nod on Thursday night. Binnington has been up and down this year, but he's definitely the A-side in this goaltending matchup. Binnington is 11-7-3 with a .910 save percentage and a -0.2 GSAx in 21 games for the Blues.

Kraken vs. Blues Pick

It's nearly impossible to back the Kraken right now. With struggling teams you're looking for one part of the roster to pick it up and will the team to a win. With Seattle it's tough to picture that happening because the offense can't create chances and the goaltending has been abysmal.

Meanwhile, the Blues look like they are ready to make another Stanley Cup run and have an offense that should be able to get margin in this game.

Additionally, the Blues have been terrific on home ice. They are 7-0-1 in their last eight games in St. Louis and 14-3-2 at the Enterprise Center on the season. St. Louis also has a big rest advantage with the Kraken coming in on a back-to-back.

The Blues are heavy favorites for a reason and in this case I think they can get separation. St. Louis scores in bunches, while the Kraken don't have the offensive firepower to keep up.

Pick: St. Louis Blues -1.5 (+115)