Dean Etheridge
There is a huge clash in the Pacific Division this Friday when top of the table Seattle Kraken take on the Calgary Flames. Both sides need a win for different reasons, so who will prevail? Here we take a look and tell you who we think will win in our latest free NHL betting picks.
- What; NHL
- Who; Seattle Kraken vs Calgary Flames
- Where; Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, Washington
- When; Friday, January 27th, 2023
- Puck Drop; 10 pm ET
Having just moved to the top of the Pacific Division again on Wednesday, the Kraken will be looking to consolidate their position. Their closest rival in the division, the Vegas Golden Knights, are in action against the Rangers on the same night. So the Kraken can’t afford any slip-ups when they entertain the Flames.
As for the Flames, despite sitting fifth in the Pacific Division, they are only six points behind the Kraken. A win on Friday for Darryl Sutter’s team will see that gap close to just four points and see the division turn into a five-way battle for the title. A loss, and it’s hard to see Calgary clawing back an eight point gap.
In the futures market to win the Pacific Division, Seattle are now the favorites at +190 with the best NHL ice hockey betting sites. They are followed by the Edmonton Oilers at +275, and the Golden Knights at +280. It’s then the Flames at +650, with the LA Kings at +750 completing the betting for the five teams with a chance of winning the division.
Betting to win the 2023 Stanley Cup
In the betting to win the Stanley Cup, the Flames at +2200 are shorter than the Kraken (+3500) with the best NHL Stanley Cup winner betting sites. The Flames are clearly more favored to do better in the postseason playoffs than the Kraken are. But with the Kraken currently impressing everyone with their current performances, it may be foolish to follow that theory when wagering.
For the record, the Boston Bruins at +500 are still the favorites to win the 2023 Stanley Cup.. They are followed by the Maple Leafs at +600, the Colorado Avalanche at +750, and the Carolina Hurricanes at +800. There is then a bit of a gap before we get to the Tampa Bay Lightning, who make up the top five in the betting at +1200.
All the above prices are taken from BetOnline. You can read more about them in our BetOnline sportsbook review. While for more betting on the winner of the 2023 Stanley Cup, please check out our odds table below.
| Stanley Cup Winner Betting for 2023 |  |  |  |
| Boston Bruins | +500 | +500 | +500 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | +600 | +600 | +600 |
| Colorado Avalanche | +750 | +750 | +750 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | +800 | +900 | +850 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | +1200 | +1200 | +1150 |
| New Jersey Devils | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Dallas Stars | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| Edmonton Oilers | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| Calgary Flames | +2200 | +1900 | +2000 |
| New York Rangers | +2200 | +2000 | +2000 |
| Minnesota Wild | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
| Winnipeg Jets | +3300 | +3000 | +28000 |
| Seattle Kraken | +3500 | +4000 | +4000 |
Kraken looking to consolidate after recent defeats
Seattle has been on a red hot run of form lately. In their last ten matches their record reads 7-2-1. But as any Kraken fan knows, this doesn’t tell the whole story.
Earlier in the month the Kraken defeated the Blackhawks 8-5 in what was their eighth win in a row. It was also their seventh straight win on the road, seeing them make history as the first team in NHL history to sweep a 7-match road trip.
And it wasn’t just any old 7-match road trip either. Included in the run were wins over the Bruins (3-0), and the Maple Leafs (5-1), who just so happen to be the two leading favorites to win the Stanley Cup.
In their last outing the Kraken defeated the Canucks 6-1 on Wednesday. This saw them bouncing straight back with a win after losing at home to the Avalanche last weekend. On that occasion a shootout was needed to separate the sides after a 1-1 finish in regulation time.
SEA ya, Seattle. #GoAvsGo https://t.co/w5tXeVgFNw
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) January 22, 2023
It may only be two defeats suffered by the Kraken recently. But with top spot in the division up for grabs, they now need to consolidate their position at the top with wins.
Last chance saloon for the Flames?
In their last outing Darryl Sutter’s Flames defeated the Blue Jackets 4-3, overtime was needed. This was the Flames second win in a row after defeating the Lightning 6-3 in an impressive display over the weekend.
YOU CAN PUT IT IN THE WIN COLUMN! YEAH BABY!@McDonaldsCanada | https://t.co/wei5ug38sX pic.twitter.com/Vz0NjFEW5E
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) January 21, 2023
In their previous ten matches the Flames have a 5-3-2 record, and it’s probably this inconsistency that sees them down in fifth place in the division.
But as the win over the Lightning shows, on their day the Flames can beat anybody. And that’s what makes this fixture such an intriguing match up. If the Flames are to have any outside chance of winning the division, you feel they have to win this match.
Kraken vs Flames betting and picks
In the betting to win this match the sportsbooks are struggling to separate the two teams, but are just favoring the hosts. On the moneyline the Kraken are -109, and the Flames are -101.
On the handicap market, the Kraken are +215 starting from -1.5 goals. The Flames are -250 with a start of +1.5 goals. And on the total points spread, over 6 is -114, and under 6 is +103.
With home advantage, the call has to be a win for the Kraken. To be honest, nothing would surprise me though, so wager with caution.
As for the total goals market, even though both of these franchises have been involved in some heavy scoring matches lately, I feel this might be a tight match, and therefore I’m making under 6 goals my betting pick.
