Friday NHL Odds, Predictions and Pick – Avalanche vs Kraken Odds

• The Colorado Avalanche take on the Seattle Kraken as road favorites on Friday, November 19th
• The Avalanche are a perfect 3-0 since superstar Nathan MacKinnon went down with an injury
• See the Avalanche vs Kraken odds, betting analysis and best bet for this Western matchup

The Colorado Avalanche face off against the Seattle Kraken for the first time ever at Climate Pledge Arena on Friday night and even though they’re without Nathan MacKinnon, the Avs are the moneyline favorites on the NHL betting line against the expansion side.

This matchup pits Colorado, one of the highest scoring teams in the NHL against a Seattle team that is allowing the 2nd-most goals in the league. Let’s take a look at the Avalanche vs Kraken odds and lines while also peaking at SBD’s NHL best bet for this game.

Avalanche vs Kraken Odds

Odds as of November 18th at DraftKings

For those that thought Seattle might be another Cinderella story and repeat what Vegas did as an expansion franchise a few years ago, well, you thought wrong. They are tied for 2nd-last in the league and have just one win so far this month.

Expansion Franchise Comparisons Through 16 Games

It seems as though the rest of the league learned from the mistakes they made in the expansion draft four years ago to Vegas and now the Kraken are paying the price for it. While Seattle likely won’t repeat Vegas’ expansion success, Colorado is an NHL betting favorite in the Stanley Cup odds sitting atop the list of NHL teams.

No Need for Nathan?

The Avalanche are coming in on a big roll and are filling the net with ease even without their sidelined superstar. They’ve scored 17 goals in three games since his latest injury causing some people to ask the unthinkable – do they even need MacKinnon?

Not going to say that this team is better without Nathan MacKinnon. That’s not even close to true. There’s way less waiting for 29 to do something when he’s out though. Not being critical at all here. Love how this team knows how they need to play without him. #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/XxmDy2AWeq

— The Avs Hockey Podcast 🎙 (@AvsPodcast) November 18, 2021

MacKinnon is currently regarded by most as the 2nd-best player on the planet next to Connor McDavid, so they’re definitely better with him, but the Avs’ play has been impressive without him. The Nova Scotia native’s Hart Trophy odds have lengthened since the beginning of the season and the injuries certainly haven’t helped.

Avalanche With & Without MacKinnon Last Two Seasons

What Colorado’s play without MacKinnon does show is that they are a team that might be able to survive a few games without their best player in the postseason.

Avalanche vs Kraken Picks & Prediction

This NHL betting line seems like a no brainer. The only debate was weather to take Colorado on the puck line at -1.5 or play it safe. Let’s take a look at a few other trends in the Avalanche vs Kraken matchup before we make our final NHL picks:

• The Kraken are 0-8 when trailing after the 1st period
• The over is 4-0-1 in Colorado’s last 5 games
• Seattle has given up 4 or more goals in every game this month

While Seattle has lost five in a row, they have lost four of those by two goals or less and they only lost by three to Anaheim because of two empty netters. They have been competitive enough for me to say it’s a good idea to pick more of a sure thing with the moneyline and take the NHL odds on the Avalanche.

Pick: Colorado Avalanche ML (-155)