The Vegas Golden Knights enjoyed immediate success after gaining entry to the NHL in 2017-18, winning the Pacific Division title and advancing all the way to the Stanley Cup Final before losing to Washington. Vegas has gone on to claim a second division crown, has qualified for the playoffs in each of its first four seasons in the league and finished tied with Colorado for most points (82) last campaign. The Golden Knights now get the honor of welcoming the newest member of the league as they host the expansion Seattle Kraken on 2021 NHL Opening Night. The Kraken will become the first professional hockey team in Seattle since 1975, when the Totems played their final game in the Central Hockey League.
The puck is set to drop at 10 p.m. ET at T-Mobile Arena. Vegas is the -250 favorite (risk $250 to win $100) on the money line in the latest Golden Knights vs. Kraken odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while Seattle is the +205 underdog. The over-under for total goals scored is 5.5. Before making any Kraken vs. Golden Knights picks or any other NHL predictions, you need to see what Sportsline's No. 1 NHL expert Matt Severance has to say.
Severance is a well-connected writer and handicapper who has worked in the industry since 2005. He dominated the NHL last season by going a whopping 158-104 on money-line NHL picks, returning over $1,400 for the $100 bettor.
Now, Severance has set his sights on Golden Knights vs. Kraken and just locked in his NHL picks for Tuesday. You can head to SportsLine now to see Severance's expert NHL picks and predictions. Here are several NHL betting lines and trends for Kraken vs. Golden Knights:
- Golden Knights vs. Kraken money line: Vegas -250, Seattle +205
- Golden Knights vs. Kraken over-under: 5.5 goals
- Golden Knights vs. Kraken puck line: Vegas -1.5 (+100)
- VGK: The Golden Knights have won 42 of their last 58 home contests
- SEA: Only seven of the previous 25 expansion teams have won their first regular-season game
Why the Golden Knights can win
Vegas recorded a league-high 40 victories in 56 games last season and fell two wins shy of making its second appearance in the Stanley Cup Final. Captain Mark Stone led the Golden Knights with 61 points as he reached the 20-goal plateau for the seventh consecutive campaign with 21. The 29-year-old right wing has registered 135 points in 138 contests since being acquired from Ottawa in February 2019.
Max Pacioretty eclipsed the 20-goal mark for the eighth time in his career last season, scoring a team-high 24 in 48 games. The 32-year-old left wing also led the Golden Knights with 32 tallies the previous campaign and has amassed 157 points in 185 contests after being obtained from Montreal prior to the 2018-19 season. Vegas has several other capable goal-scorers in Jonathan Marchessault, William Karlsson, Reilly Smith and Alex Tuch, and it acquired another during the offseason in veteran Evgenii Dadonov, who recorded 25 or more goals in three consecutive seasons with Florida before notching 13 in 55 games with Ottawa in 2020-21.
Why the Kraken can win
Seattle is solid in the crease with Philipp Grubauer, who was signed as a free agent to a six-year, $35.4 million contract in July. The 29-year-old German had the best season of his NHL career in 2020-21 with Colorado, posting a 30-9-1 record to help lead the Avalanche to the Presidents' Trophy. Grubauer finished second in the league with a 1.95 GAA and was tied for first with seven shutouts.
The Kraken don't possess an elite scorer but do have several players who can score goals. Jordan Eberle (six times), Jaden Schwartz (four), Yanni Gourde (two) and Marcus Johansson (two) all have recorded 20-goal seasons, with the former netting a career-high 35 with Edmonton in 2011-12. Seattle's defense is anchored by captain Mark Giordano, a three-time All-Star with Calgary who won the Norris Trophy in 2019.
How to make Golden Knights vs. Kraken picks
Severance is leaning under on total goals scored. He's also found an X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the money line. You can see his expert NHL picks and predictions only on SportsLine.
So who wins Kraken vs. Golden Knights? And what X-factor makes one side of the money line a huge value? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side you need to jump on, all from the expert who crushed his NHL money-line picks in 2020-21, and find out.