NHL betting preview (March 14): Utah vs. Seattle odds
Join Daily Faceoff’s Andy MacNeil as he handicaps Friday’s matchup between the Utah Hockey Club and Seattle Kraken.
Utah vs. Seattle Odds
- Utah Hockey Club Moneyline: -235
- Seattle Kraken Moneyline: +120
- Puck Line: Utah +1.5 (+170), Seattle -1.5 (-210)
- Game Total: 6 (Over -105, Under -115)
Game odds via Sports Interaction.
Handicapping Utah (29-36 SU, 29-36 ATS, 25-35-5 O/U)
The Utah Hockey Club can climb within one point of the Calgary Flames for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference with a win on Friday. Utah has won eight of its last 13 games, and this upcoming road trip through the Pacific Division gives it a great opportunity to close ground, given that the Kraken, Canucks, and Oilers are all struggling right now and Utah is playing solid hockey.
Since the start of February, Utah ranks fourth in both expected goals and shot attempts at five-on-five. The Vegas Golden Knights, Florida Panthers, and Colorado Avalanche are the only teams that have been better in those categories, putting the club in elite company. Moreover, only the Panthers, Avalanche, and Winnipeg Jets have allowed fewer goals per 60 minutes at five-on-five.
However, Utah has been quite unlucky offensively as of late. The team ranks 21st in goals per 60 minutes (all situations) since the start of February but third in expected goals and shot attempts per 60. Over its last 14 games, Utah has scored 2.85 goals per 60 despite generating 3.73 expected goals per 60.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though, as it shows the team’s underlying process is sound. With a little luck, they could start scoring in bunches down the stretch, which would go a long way toward helping them make the playoffs.
Handicapping Seattle (28-38 SU, 31-35 ATS, 32-30-4 O/U)
Seattle has accumulated just 58 points in the standings this season, which places them among the bottom-five teams in the NHL year-to-date. That’s good for draft position, but the Kraken would probably like to be in the playoff hunt. Instead, Seattle is likely going to miss the playoffs for the second consecutive season, and the third time in four seasons since they joined the league in 2021-22.
As a result, Seattle opted to send forwards Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand to the Tampa Bay Lightning ahead of the NHL trade deadline in exchange for two first-round picks (2026 and 2027), a 2025 second-round pick, and forward Michael Eyssimont.
According to Evolving Hockey, Seattle ranks 29th in expected goals percentage and 24th in shot attempts percentage at five-on-five. However, while the Kraken haven’t improved their share of expected goals much, they have been doing a better job controlling the shot attempts. In fact, Seattle ranks seventh in five-on-five shot attempt percentage since the start of February.
That said, the team hasn’t been good defensively, Since Feb. 1, Seattle is among the bottom-10 teams in goals against per 60 minutes in all situations and goaltender Joey Daccord isn’t performing at the level he was earlier this season. Between October and January, Daccord ranked sixth in goals saved above expected, but he ranks 55th in that category since Feb. 1.
However, Philipp Grubauer was the first goaltender off the ice at morning skate, and he’s had a brutal season as a whole. Grubauer has won just one of his last seven starts and just six of 22 games overall this season. The 33-year-old has posted a 3.69 goals against average and a .870 save percentage.
Best bets for Utah vs. Seattle
- Dylan Guenther Over 3.5 Shots On Goal (+130) at Sports Interaction
Utah forward Dylan Guenther has been driving play for the Utah Hockey Club this season, but recently, he’s been on a whole other level when it comes to shot generation. Guenther has registered seven or more shots in three consecutive games (22 combined) and he’s recorded four or more shots in eight of his last 13 outings dating back to Feb. 4.
- Dylan Guenther Anytime Goal (+180) at Sports Interaction
Between Guenther’s appetite for shooting the puck, and Seattle’s poor defensive game, the 21-year-old’s +180 odds make him an appealing anytime goal bet on Friday. The Kraken have allowed four or more goals in six out of their last eight games, and Guenther has scored goals in seven of his last 13 outings. Sports Interaction is offering the best odds on this prop by far.