The Colorado Avalanche kick off the defence of their Stanley Cup title on Tuesday, when they play host to the Seattle Kraken in Game 1 of their Western Conference first round playoff series. The Avalanche rode a late-season surge to the top of the Central Division standings, avoiding consecutive defeats while winning 17 of their final 21 contests.

The Avalanche lead the way as strong -223 favourites on the NHL Game 1 odds. The Kraken are pegged as +180 underdogs to stage the upset in Game 1, while the total for Monday’s contest is listed at 6.0.

Kraken vs. Avalanche NHL Playoff Betting Odds

Tuesday night’s clash at Ball Arena marks the fourth overall meeting of the season between these clubs. The Kraken took two of three from the Avs during the regular season, with both those victories coming on the road. Each of the past five clashes between these clubs have been settled by one goal. In addition, the Avs and Kraken have combined to score an average total of 4.5 goals per game during a 4-0 run for the UNDER in head-to-head action.

The Avalanche enter Game 1 perched as heavy -294 favourites on the NHL playoff series prices while the Kraken lag at +254. Colorado also trails only the Boston Bruins as a +686 bet on the Stanley Cup odds, while the Kraken sit well off the pace as a +3932 long shot.

Seattle Kraken

The Kraken overcame a slow start to the season and a tendency to produce streaky results throughout the campaign to claim the first playoff berth in the franchise’s short history. The club saw their fortunes improve after New Year’s Day, going 27-16-4 over their final 47 games and closing out the season as the sixth highest scoring team in the NHL. The Kraken also developed a reputation as road warriors while racking up 26 away wins, the fifth most in the league, fueled by an impressive 9-2-1 run on the road down the stretch.

While Seattle closed out its regular season with a pair of lopsided defeats, it is important to note that those losses came with a number of regulars seeing limited ice time in the wake of the club clinching a playoff spot. Among those are Jared McCann, who has enjoyed a long-awaited breakthrough season in Seattle while tallying team highs with 40 goals and 70 points, including a two-point performance in the team’s 3-2 win in Colorado on October 21. Marty Beniers has also shown steady improvement in his first full NHL campaign, potting 24 goals and 57 points, and set up the game-winning overtime goal in Seattle’s 3-2 victory at Ball Arena last month.

Colorado Avalanche

Hampered by injuries early on including the long-term loss of team captain Gabriel Landeskog prior to the start of the season, along with ailments that put the likes of Nathan MacKinnon and Valeri Nichushkin on the shelf for extended periods, the Avalanche struggled to find consistency over the first half of the season, and found themselves sitting outside the playoff picture in the West as recently as mid-February. However, all the pieces fell into place over the final two months of the schedule, with the Avs storming to the top of the divisional standings while going a sensational 24-5-3 over their final 32 games.

The Avs averaged 4.13 goals per game over their final 32 contests, with MacKinnon potting 28 goals over that stretch, and Mikko Rantanen contributing 21 of his team-high 55 goals on the season during the late-season surge. Alexandar Georgiev have also silenced the doubters in his first season as undisputed starting goaltender, racking up 40 wins and going 13-2-1 and surrendering just 2.25 goals per game over his past 16 starts.

Game 1 Prediction: Who Will Win Kraken vs. Avalanche?

KRAKEN

Away

3

AVALANCHE

Home

2

Score
Predictions

Matchup

The Kraken may be new to the NHL playoffs, but they sport plenty of postseason experience among their playoff veterans. And considering their ability to hang tough with the Avs in recent hard-fought clashes, more of the same should be expected on Tuesday. Seattle netminder Philipp Grubauer should also be highly motivated to face his former teammates after getting kicked to the curb by the Avalanche two years ago. Accordingly, the Kraken offer intriguing value to extend their recent success against Colorado in another tight low-scoring affair.