The Seattle Kraken and the Colorado Avalanche meet Wednesday for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, as the series shifts back to Denver. Puck drop from Ball Arena is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Kraken vs. Avalanche odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
Series tied 2-2.
The Kraken picked up a 3-2 overtime victory in Game 4 at Climate Pledge Arena in front of an electric crowd, earning their 1st-ever playoff win at home. Seattle has scored 12 goals in the 4 games so far, or 3.0 goals per game (GPG). Jordan Eberle buried a power-play goal exactly 3 minutes into OT to send the crowd home happy.
The defending champion Avalanche have scored 3 or fewer goals in 3 of the 4 games so far. Mikko Rantanen was the only scorer in Game 4, netting an even-strength marker and a power-play goal. He has 4 goals in the last 2 games, and 5 goals in the series.
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Kraken at Avalanche odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 9:45 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Kraken +150 (bet $100 to win $150) | Avalanche -185 (bet $185 to win $100)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Kraken +1.5 (-175) | Avalanche -1.5 (+145)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6 (O: +100 | U: -120)
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Kraken at Avalanche projected goalies
Philipp Grubauer (17-14-4, 2.85 GAA, .895 SV% – regular season) vs. Alexandar Georgiev (40-16-6, 2.53 GAA, .919 SV%, 5 SO – regular season)
Grubauer wanted a huge contract after the 2020-21 season, but the Avalanche balked and exposed him to the expansion draft. He has played with a little extra intensity against his old team, going 2-2-0 with a 2.76 GAA and .916 SV% in the 1st 4 games in this series.
Georgiev kicked aside 40 of the 43 shots he faced in the 3-2 OT loss in Game 4 in Seattle, snapping a 2-game win streak in the series. He has allowed 3 or more goals in 3 of the 4 games in this series.
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Kraken at Avalanche picks and predictions
Prediction
Avalanche 3, Kraken 2
Moneyline
The Avalanche (-185) will cost nearly 2 times your potential return, and that’s just too risky in a series which has had all 4 games decided by 2 or fewer goals, including a pair of 1-goal games, with the last one decided in OT.
That’s too much risk with not enough reward, even if you were to toss Colorado into a multi-team parlay.
PASS.
Puck line/Against the spread
The KRAKEN +1.5 (-175) are a solid play on the puck line, as this series has been surprisingly tight through 4 games.
The Avalanche -1.5 (+145) have struggled a little offensively, missing Gabriel Landeskog (knee) in these playoffs. In addition, Valeri Nichushkin left the team in Seattle for personal reasons, while veteran Darren Helm is also on the shelf.
Seattle might not win this pivotal Game 5, but look for the Kraken to keep this game super close, which has been the case for the entire series.
Over/Under
UNDER 6 (-120) is the way to go in Game 5.
The Under is 4-0 in the last 4 games on the road for the Kraken, while cashing at a 4-1 clip in the last 5 games when working on a day of rest.
In addition, the Under has cashed in 7 of the last 8 meetings, including 3 of the first 4 battles in this playoff series.
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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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