Chris Boline
- What: St. Louis Blues vs. Seattle Kraken
- When: Wednesday, October 19, 2022, at 10:05 p.m. EST
- Where: Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington
Wednesday consists of a smaller NHL slate, with only three matchups on the docket for October 19. The Seattle Kraken will host the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday night at the Climate Pledge Arena in what figures to be a close-knit battle between the two Western Conference foes. We’re going to take a look at the odds for the game and dive into some of the best picks for the clash. Before we get into things, make sure to take a look at our NHL betting guides, as well as our Stanley Cup betting guide in order to get all the information you need.
Blues vs. Kraken odds
 | Puck Line | Money Line | Total |
| Blues | -1.5 (+175) | -137 | Over 6.5 (+100) |
| Kraken | +1.5 (-205) | +124 | Under 6.5 (-110) |
Heading into the matchup, the Kraken, despite playing on their home ice, are considered underdogs against the Blues at (+124) odds to win the game. The Blues carry (-137) odds heading into the showdown. The books anticipate it to be a one-goal game, with the puck line for the Blues at -1.5 set for (+175) odds. The goal total is set at a rather high 6.5 line with (+100) for the over and (-110) for the under.
Why the Blues can win
In terms of the head-to-head matchup, the Blues have the upper hand. St. Louis has been to the playoffs in each of the past four seasons, dating back to their Stanley Cup Championship in 2019. The Kraken, on the other hand, are just in their second season as a franchise and is still very much in build mode, looking toward the future.
The Blues will enter the fray remarkably fresh, having only played one game this season, which they won. At 1-0, the Blues will be looking to add to their strong start, which featured a 5-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. In that game, team leader Vladimir Tarasenko scored two goals and registered four shots on goal, serving as a constant threat for St. Louis in the attacking zone. Pavel Buchnevich added a goal and an assist, while the other goals came courtesy of Ivan Barbashev and Jake Neighbours.
Defensively, the Blues were outstanding in their season opener, led by the likes of Colton Parayko, Torey Krug, and Justin Faulk. St. Louis stifled the Blue Jackets’ attack in their 2022-23 NHL season debut and have a friendly matchup against a lower-scoring Kraken offense. Seattle has played four games this season and has been held to two or fewer goals in two of them, making this an enticing matchup for the Blues defenders to continue their strong start.
After being held off the scoresheet against Columbus, expect the likes of Jordan Kyrou (75 points last year), Ryan O’Reilly (58 points last year), and Brandon Saad (49 points last year) to get their first points under their belt in Seattle. This is a Blues team that averaged 3.79 goals per game last season —311 total-– which was good for second in the Western Conference. After a five-goal outing vs. the Blue Jackets, the Blues will be fresh and ready to grab their second win.
Why the Kraken can win
The Kraken are off to a 1-3 start this season, including a disappointing overtime loss against the Anaheim Ducks. With just three points through their first four games, early indications suggest it’ll be a long season in Seattle as the Kraken continue to build a future contender. Despite that, the Kraken stunned the Los Angeles Kings on the road in a 4-1 win, and will be eager to pick up their first home win of the season.
New offseason acquisitions Oliver Bjorkstrand and Andre Burakovsky are off to solid starts to their Kraken careers. Bjorkstrand has two points through his first four games but has let his presence be felt in the attacking zone, registering 18 shots on goal during that span, good for 4.5 per game. Burakovsky has five points in his first four games as a member of the Kraken, including a pair of goals and three assists. He leads the team in points, ahead of second-year star Matty Beniers, who has four points on the year, including a goal and three assists.
Defensively, the Kraken have been lackluster, having surrendered five goals in each of their three losses on the year. If they want to keep things close against the Blues, they’ll need to improve at preventing their opponents from getting quality looks at goal. They have three more games than the Blues under their belt, so while St. Louis may be a bit fresher, the Kraken will have had more time to shake off the off-season rust and get into the swing of the new campaign.
The Pick
The Kraken have struggled early on in the season and at times, have looked outmatched by their opponent. Despite playing host to St. Louis on Wednesday, I’m anticipating another difficult matchup for the Kraken. The squad simply lacks the star talent at this juncture to compete with some of the league’s top-tier teams, and the Blues could end up overwhelming them on Wednesday. While I’m a fan of the Blues Money Line at (-137), I want to take it one step further and actually back the Blues to cover at -1.5 at (+175). The Kraken have lost each of their first two home games by three or more goals, and I’m expecting that unfortunate trend to continue on Wednesday against one of the league’s highest-scoring teams.
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