Kraken vs Rangers

Matty Beniers and the surging Seattle Kraken hit MSG tonight looking much sharper than a Rangers group that’s 1-4-2 in its last seven and coming off a 10-2 humiliation in Boston, while Seattle just had a 10-game point streak (8-0-2) snapped after weeks of structured, low-event hockey. With Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox on injured reserve along with multiple depth pieces, New York’s spine is badly compromised at both ends of the ice, even if Artemi Panarin (9 points in 9 career games vs Seattle) and Mika Zibanejad can still tilt a single night. Seattle isn’t exactly healthy either — Jaden Schwartz is on IR and both Jordan Eberle and Eeli Tolvanen have been nursing short-term issues — but they’ve rolled through this stretch on goaltending (Joey Daccord and a resurgent Philipp Grubauer) and a deep forward group where Jared McCann has historically produced well against the Rangers. Head-to-head history and home ice lean New York, yet with both clubs sitting at the 41-game mark and clinging to modest playoff odds, Seattle is playing like the more cohesive, urgent team, and the plus price gives the road side the better combination of win probability and return. I grade Kraken +115 on the moneyline as a **B** value: a live underdog with clear form and injury edges but still exposed to MSG variance and New York’s top-end skill. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 12/01/2026 09:27

With the total sitting at 5.5, this sets up as more of a grind than a track meet: Seattle has ridden top-five defensive results at five-on-five and strong tandem goaltending to climb back into the Western playoff picture, and their recent point streak was built on keeping games in the 3–2 range rather than trading chances. The Rangers’ issues are the mirror image — even before the current slide, they were flagged as a low-output offense that leaned heavily on Fox to drive transition and Shesterkin to erase mistakes, and both are now on the shelf, which dampens their ability to generate clean entries and quality looks even as it theoretically softens their back end. Historically this matchup has leaned slightly higher scoring, but with Seattle’s current defensive identity, New York’s crisis of confidence after getting shelled in Boston, and midseason playoff pressure tightening benches on both sides, the game script points toward a cautious, special-teams-heavy contest that struggles to reach six goals, especially if the Kraken are nursing a third-period lead. At plus money, I like **Under 5.5 (+110)** as a contrarian position against a market leaning Over, but the uncertainty around backup goaltending for New York keeps this to a **B-** grade rather than a stronger endorsement. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 12/01/2026 09:27

Given Seattle’s recent run of tight games and New York’s inability to separate from opponents during this slump, the puckline that best matches the likely script is Seattle +1.5 at a steep but reasonable -200. The Kraken have been living in one-goal territory throughout their long point streak, leaning on disciplined structure, an improved power play, and two goalies playing above expected, which travels well into a hostile building even when their top six isn’t at full health. The Rangers, meanwhile, are missing their best defenseman and starting goalie, have been leaking high-danger chances, and haven’t shown the kind of forecheck depth that typically drives multi-goal home wins, even though Panarin and Zibanejad can still swing special-teams or late empty-net scenarios. With both clubs hovering near the playoff cut line at midseason, this shapes up as a tight, playoff-style checker where Seattle’s current form makes a blowout loss less likely than the line implies, turning the heavy juice into a reasonable tax on what profiles as a high hit-rate leg. I grade **Seattle +1.5 (-200)** as a **B+**: expensive but aligned with how often this matchup ends in a one-goal result or outright Kraken win. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 12/01/2026 09:27