Surely the most interesting NHL game out of four scheduled for Friday, December 30, is this one in Seattle, and here you can read the best Oilers vs. Kraken betting pick and odds.

Seattle is hoping to avoid the third straight loss when they welcome Edmonton at Climate Pledge Arena. The Oilers are -115 moneyline favorites on BetDSI Sportsbook, while the total is set at 6.5 goals. These Pacific Division foes met three times last year, and the Oilers won that series 2-1.

Oilers edged the Flames on the road

The Edmonton Oilers (19-15-1-1, 18-18 ATS) responded to a three-game losing skid with two wins in three games. After suffering a 5-2 defeat to the Vancouver Canucks at home, the Oilers bounced back with a tight 2-1 victory against the Calgary Flames. Following this game against Seattle on Friday, Edmonton will return home for a four-game home stand.

The Flames got to a 1-0 lead on Tuesday, but Tyson Barrie and Connor McDavid scored for the Oilers, who recorded their second road win in a row. Edmonton managed to win despite having just 22 shots opposite Calgary’s 47. Stuart Skinner was magnificent at the goal with 46 saves. The Oilers have two of the best NHL players when it comes to points this season. Connor McDavid leads the league with 67 (G 31, A 36), while Leon Draisaitl has 57 points (G 21, A 36). Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is also a major contributor with 41 points (G 18, A 23).

Stuart Skinner (11-9-1) will probably get a start at the goal against Seattle on Friday. The 24-year-old is conceding 2.82 goals per game this season with a .916 SV% and no shutouts.

G Mike Smith (undisclosed), LW Evander Kane (wrist), and D Ryan Murray (back) are out indefinitely and will not feature on Friday against Seattle.

Kraken weren’t that lucky against the Flames

The Seattle Kraken (18-11-3-1, 19-14 ATS), unlike the Oilers, didn’t have the luck to get a win against the Calgary Flames as they fell short 3-2 at home. It was the second loss in a row for the Kraken following a 6-5 shootout defeat to the Vancouver Canucks. It’s clear that Seattle is playing in a hot and cold form lately as they won two straight before losing two.

The Kraken had a 2-1 lead against Calgary midway through the second period, but the Flames scored a pair and deservedly registered a victory. Calgary attempted 44 shots opposite Seattle’s 31. Jordan Eberle got a pair of assists as Ryan Donato and Jamie Oleksiak scored for the Kraken. This year, Andre Burakovsky leads Seattle in points with 28 (G 10, A 18); Eberle has 27 (G 8, A 19), while Matthew Beniers chipped in 25 points (G 11, A 14).

Martin Jones (14-5-3) will be back in the cage when Seattle welcomes Edmonton on Friday. The 32-year-old is allowing 2.99 goals per contest this season along with a .888 SV% and one shutout.

RW Joonas Donskoi has hit the injured reserve list with an upper-body injury, and he will miss an undetermined length of time.

Trends:

Edmonton:

  • 1-5 in the last six games following a win
  • 3-8 in the last 11 vs. a team with a winning record

Seattle:

  • 7-2 in the last nine vs. Western Conference rivals
  • 6-2 in the last eight vs. Pacific Division opponents

Edmonton Oilers vs. Seattle Kraken Pick  

I know that the Oilers have two MVP candidates and two of the best forwards in the world right now, but we can’t ignore the fact that Seattle has the 6th best offense in the NHL that averages 3.48 goals per game. Edmonton’s is slightly better, just as the Kraken has a slightly better defense. It’s going to be a pretty tied affair that could go either way. I am going with the hosts because of their hot and cold form. They already lost two straight, so I expect a win now.

Pick: Take the Kraken to win (+105)

The Total

I mentioned how good both offenses are, but let’s take a look at the numbers. Edmonton is scoring 3.56 goals per game, which is the 4th best offense in the league. Six of the Oilers’ last seven games produced 7+ goals, while that was the case in two of Seattle’s previous three. Each of the three H2H duels last year produced 7+ goals. Over is 12-3-1 in the Oilers’ last 16 overall; Over is 6-2 in Edmonton’s previous eight road games, while Over is 7-3 in the Kraken’s last ten vs. Pacific Division opponents.

Pick: Go Over 6.5 goals (-110)