Philipp Grubauer and the Seattle Kraken are huge moneyline underdogs in NHL betting odds making their NHL debut Tuesday in Las Vegas.

Seattle Big Road Underdog In Vegas In NHL Debut

The last two NHL expansion teams will square off in Vegas on Tuesday when the heavily favored Golden Knights host the Seattle Kraken to cap off an Sportsbook-night doubleheader on ESPN. Seattle is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Vegas as the most successful expansion team in sports history, with the latter winning eight of its first nine games en route to advancing to the Stanley Cup Final in its inaugural season (2017-18).

Seattle Kraken vs Vegas Golden Knights
  • Date/Time: October 12, 10:15 p.m. ET
  • Arena: T-Mobile Arena
  • TV Coverage: ESPN
  • Sportsbook Odds: Golden Knights -270 | O/U 5.5 (Line History)
  • Kraken vs Golden Knights Matchup Report

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

The moneyline has surprisingly gone down for the favored Golden Knights despite the fact that the Kraken will be without five players due to the league’s COVID-19 protocols. Seattle will be missing forwards Jared McCann, Joonas Donskoi, Calle Jarnkrok and Marcus Johansson plus defenseman Jamie Oleksiak. McCann was centering the team’s top line before missing Monday’s final practice, so these are not scrubs here for an expansion team hoping to have some quality depth like Vegas. That said, the Knights were listed as -228 chalk at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark as of late Monday.

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Seattle News & Notes

The Kraken are the latest pro sports team to say “why not us” with regards to their potential to surprise people in their very first year of existence.

Vegas set the standard four years ago, and Seattle has built a solid roster too through the expansion draft and free agency, even luring Vezina Trophy finalist Philipp Grubauer to the Pacific Northwest after he led the Colorado Avalanche to the West Division title last season.

Grubauer is hoping to enjoy another fun ride as a starter with a new team like last year’s Vezina Sportsbook, Marc-Andre Fleury, did in Vegas before being jettisoned to the Chicago Blackhawks.  

Vegas News & Notes

Last season again ended with disappointment for the Golden Knights, who were heavy favorites to advance to the Stanley Cup Final in the conference finals against the Montreal Canadiens. Instead, it was the Canadiens who thrived as underdogs to pull off the series upset in five games, leaving Vegas players and bettors wondering what went wrong.

With Fleury gone to Chicago, Robin Lehner is now the unquestioned starter between the pipes, for better or worse. Lehner’s outspoken nature has caused some to wonder if he will be more of a distraction in Sin City, as he is coming off a rocky preseason both on and off the ice.

How Seattle Will Win

The Golden Knights were able to win their first two games ever on the road before playing their home opener, so why not the Kraken? Grubauer has had some success vs Vegas in the past, and there is some serious pressure on Lehner as Fleury’s successor.

How Vegas Will Win

Seattle is still a first-year team that has had little time to jell, and the hosts will be out to prove it is much easier said than done when it comes to being a successful expansion franchise. The Golden Knights are also looking to take out their frustrations and show they are the team to beat in the West, especially with Grubauer gone from the Avalanche.

Computer Pick: Golden Knights ML (-250)

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Shark Bites
  • Vegas is 13-5 in its last 18 home games.
  • Vegas is 1-4 in its last 5 games.
  • The UNDER is 4-1 in Vegas’ last 5 vs the Pacific.
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