Wild vs Kraken

Kirill Kaprizov and the Wild roll into Seattle trying to halt a two-game slide against a Kraken team stuck in a five-game winless streak that’s exposed shaky special teams and confidence issues. With Marco Rossi, Marcus Foligno, and Vinnie Hinostroza all sidelined, Minnesota is not at full strength, but their forward core of Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek and Mats Zuccarello is still deeper than a Kraken group missing Jaden Schwartz and relying heavily on Jordan Eberle, Matty Beniers and Jared McCann. Minnesota has dominated this matchup recently, going 6-2-0 in its last eight against Seattle and winning four straight in Seattle, with Kaprizov, Zuccarello, Boldy and Ryan Hartman all producing double-digit point totals in relatively few head-to-head games, while Filip Gustavsson has already delivered multiple strong outings versus the Kraken. Seattle’s underlying profile (2.54 GF/G, 2.92 GAA, and a struggling penalty kill) is weaker than Minnesota’s balance (2.69 GF/G, 2.72 GAA, more efficient power play and much better PK), and the Kraken’s recent 0-4-1 stretch has featured defensive collapses and special-teams breakdowns that match up poorly against the Wild’s top-unit puck movement. Even acknowledging road travel and Minnesota’s recent dip, I’m backing Minnesota Wild -130 on the moneyline with an A- grade, combining a meaningful edge in form, special teams, and proven matchup history with a still-reasonable price. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 08/12/2025 09:29am

Totals bettors have to weigh Seattle’s recent blowout against Edmonton against the broader pattern of how these teams are playing right now, and that leans slightly toward a tighter, lower-scoring script. Minnesota’s last five games have produced just 2, 1, 1, 2 and 3 goals for the Wild as they’ve leaned on structure, goaltending from Gustavsson/Wallstedt, and a strong penalty kill, while Seattle’s offense has sputtered to 2.54 goals per game on the season despite respectable talent at the top of the lineup. The Kraken’s penalty kill has been a mess, but their own power play is mediocre and the Wild are missing two key middle-six drivers in Rossi and Foligno, which trims some secondary scoring upside and encourages John Hynes to keep this to a grindy road style after back-to-back regulation losses. Historically, the matchup has produced both blowouts and tight games, yet the underlying numbers (combined GF/G and GAA around the 5.5 mark) and current form suggest a 3-2 type of result is more likely than another track meet, especially with both teams trying to stop skids and minimize mistakes. I lean Under 5.5 at -110 with a B grade: solid but not elite value given Seattle’s volatile defense and dreadful PK still carry some risk of a late special-teams spike or empty-net chaos. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 08/12/2025 09:29am

Given how this matchup has tilted, the plus-money angle on Minnesota’s puckline is the side I prefer, even if it’s clearly a higher-variance position than the moneyline. The Wild have routinely beaten Seattle by multiple goals when they’ve had their transition and forecheck rolling, with recent examples including 4-0 and 3+ goal bursts built on finishes from Boldy, Hartman and depth wingers, while Gustavsson has already posted a shutout and another 30-plus save win against the Kraken. Seattle is in an 0-4-1 spiral with multiple multi-goal losses in that span, their penalty kill is leaking badly, and they’re down Schwartz, one of their better two-way forwards and a historical Wild-killer, which magnifies the burden on Beniers, Eberle and McCann to carry scoring against a structured Minnesota team. Even with Rossi and Foligno out, the Wild’s top six and first power-play unit still represent a matchup edge against Kraken goaltending that has hovered around league-average or worse, and if Minnesota does get ahead, Seattle’s aggressive push plus a fragile PK and frequent empty-net scenarios increase the odds of a two-goal margin. At +196, I’m taking Minnesota Wild -1.5 with a B- grade: attractive upside tied to a clear matchup advantage, but sized as a smaller play given the inherent risk that a tightening Seattle effort or low-event pace keeps it to a one-goal game. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 08/12/2025 09:29am