Golden Knights vs Kraken Picks and Predictions: Knights Not Afraid of Monsters

The two newest teams in the NHL will square off at Climate Pledge Arena on Friday night as the Vegas Golden Knights take on the Seattle Kraken. 

The Kraken are playing for pride at this point in the campaign, having already been eliminated from postseason contention. Seattle went 5-6-1 in March, but can it begin April with a victory? Find out in our free NHL picks and predictions for Golden Knights vs Kraken on Friday, April 1.

Golden Knights vs Kraken odds

This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.

The Golden Knights opened as the consensus -168 favorite and have taken enough action to drop to -175 or lower at many sportsbooks. However, moneyline odds as low as -165 can still be found if you shop around. The total opened at 6.0 goals and has stayed level, with most books offering -115 on the Over.

Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until puck drop and be sure to check out the full NHL odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.

Golden Knights vs Kraken predictions

• Prediction: Golden Knights -165
• Prediction: Under 6.0 goals (-103)
• Best bet: Kraken Under 2.5 goals (+105)

Predictions made on 4/1/2022 at 10:45 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.

Golden Knights vs Kraken game info

• Location: Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, WA
• Date: Friday, April 1, 2022
• Puck drop: 10:00 p.m. ET
• TV: Root Sports, ATTSN-RM

Golden Knights vs Kraken betting preview

Key injuries

Golden Knights : Laurent Brossoit (Questionable), Nolan Patrick (Questionable), William Carrier (Questionable), Max Pacioretty (Out), Reilly Smith (Out), Brett Howden (Out), Nicolas Hague (Out).
Kraken: Jaden Schwartz (Questionable), Haydn Fleury (Questionable).
Find our latest NHL injury reports.

Golden Knights vs Kraken head-to-head record

Golden Knights : 3-0, 11 goals for.
Kraken: 0-3, 5 goals for.

Betting trend to know

The Kraken are 2-12 in their last 14 games as a home underdog. Find more NHL betting trends for Golden Knights vs. Kraken.

Golden Knights vs Kraken picks and predictions

Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.

Moneyline/Puck line analysis

The Golden Knights never expected to be in “desperation mode” this late in the season, but every two points they can grab right now are crucial for their playoff hopes. As the regular season enters its final stretch, Vegas is currently ninth in the West, one point behind the Dallas Stars for the last playoff spot in the conference. 

However, the Golden Knights are on the upswing, having won their last three games in a row. That includes Wednesday’s comfortable 3-0 shutout triumph over the Kraken. Rookie netminder Logan Thompson turned back all 22 shots he faced in the victory for his first NHL shutout.

Vegas head coach Pete DeBoer could ride with the hot hand in Thompson on Friday, or turn to veteran goaltender Robin Lehner, who was removed from injured reserve (https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/hockey/news/golden-knights-robin-lehner-removed-from-injured-reserve/) on Wednesday. Lehner won each of his two starts against the Kraken this season, turning back 53 of the 58 pucks they sent his way. 

Optimistic prop bettors may want to take a close look at Jonathan Marchessault, Jack Eichel, and Evgenii Dadonov. 

Marchessault has multiple points in each of his last three games, including his one goal, one assist effort against the Kraken on Wednesday night. Eichel seems to be gelling with Vegas now, as he’s tallied at least one point in 10 of his last 15 contests. And since nearly being shipped to Anaheim in a salary dump, Dadonov has five points in a three-game span, including a game-winning overtime goal against the Chicago Blackhawks last Saturday.

Prediction: Golden Knights (-165 at PointsBet)

Over/Under analysis

The argument for the Under must begin with struggling Seattle, which was shut out for the fourth time this season on Wednesday. Only the Arizona Coyotes (172 goals) have scored fewer goals among Western Conference clubs than the Kraken (174 goals) this year. 

Just four current Seattle skaters have reached the 10-goal plateau this season – Jared McCann (24), Yanni Gourde (16), Jordan Eberle (16), and Ryan Donato (13) – but none of them is in particularly good form at the moment. McCann has only one goal in his last six games, Gourde has gone four straight games without a goal, Eberle had only one goal in 12 March contests, and Donato has no tallies in six straight tilts.

The Golden Knights are no offensive dynamo either, ranking 15th in the NHL in goals per game (3.12). Part of that is due to an underachieving power play, which rates 18th in the league at 18.8% efficiency. 

Prediction: Under 6.0 goals (-103 at BetRivers)

Best bet

No matter who DeBoer rolls with between the pipes, it seems like a safe bet that Seattle will struggle to find the twine. 

The Kraken’s chief scorers are all mired in some kind of funk, and Vegas’ goaltending is in a good spot, with confidence brimming after a road shutout of this same opponent just two nights ago. Seattle has not fared well against this Pacific Division foe, having tallied only five goals in their first three meetings, all losses.

The Golden Knights’ blueline is also getting better by the day, with Alec Martinez returning two games ago, and Brayden McNabb re-entering the lineup on Wednesday. As this unit rediscovers its chemistry, Vegas could become a very difficult team to score against down the stretch.

Pick: Kraken Under 2.5 goals (+105 at Caesars)

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