The struggling Seattle Kraken (33-38-6) head to Salt Lake City riding high after their impressive 5-0 shutout of the Canucks, but they'll need more than momentum to overcome a Utah Hockey Club (35-30-12) squad fighting for playoff positioning in Tuesday's showdown.
Special teams could prove decisive with Utah converting 22.22% of their power play opportunities while Seattle's penalty kill has been pushed to its limits this season.
Joey Daccord's .908 save percentage will be tested against a hungry Utah team looking to bounce back from their disappointing 4-2 loss to the Kings when the Kraken face the home team at Delta Center.
Utah vs. Seattle Kraken prediction: who will win?
For today's Utah vs Seattle Kraken matchup, our predictive model gives the Kraken a 54.5% chance of defeating the Utah.
Pre-game probabilities
Utah
Moneyline
Win %
45.5%
54.5%
Seattle Kraken
Utah: 45.5% win probability
- Inconsistent recent performance (WLWWL showing inability to string together wins)
- Weaker goal differential (-16 compared to Seattle's -11)
- Struggles at converting chances (218 goals from 77 games versus Seattle's 236 from 78)
Seattle Kraken: 54.5% win probability
- Better recent form (WWWLL compared to Utah's WLWWL)
- Higher goal production (236 goals scored versus Utah's 218)
- Stronger position in standings (13th place versus Utah's 11th in Western Conference)
At Sporting Post, our unique prediction model combines insights from top NHL experts.
Instead of sifting through hundreds of expert analyses across the web, you can rely on our predictions to understand the market's overall sentiment. We scan trusted sources, analyzing predictions, data, and opinions, and our AI assigns a confidence level to each prediction. We then average these levels to produce an 'expert opinion' win probability—reflecting the collective intelligence of the industry's leading NHL experts.
Best NHL sportsbook promos
Utah vs. Seattle Kraken preview
The struggling Seattle Kraken roll into Salt Lake City looking to build on their impressive 5-0 shutout of Vancouver, where their offense finally clicked after a season of inconsistency.
Utah HC, sitting just outside playoff contention with 82 points, will need to shake off their recent 4-2 loss to the Kings if they hope to keep their postseason dreams alive.
Seattle's Joey Daccord has been a bright spot despite the team's struggles, posting a solid .908 save percentage this season while recording 66 quality starts throughout his career.
The goaltending battle should be interesting with Karel Vejmelka likely manning the crease for Utah – he's had his ups and downs with a career .900 save percentage behind a team that's allowed 231 goals this season.
Special teams could be the difference-maker Tuesday night, with Utah converting a respectable 22.22% of their power plays while Seattle has struggled to kill penalties, allowing 40 power play goals to opponents.
Though the odds favor the home team at -144, Seattle's offensive explosion against Vancouver suggests they might have found something to build on heading into this matchup.
The Delta Center crowd will be pumped to see if Utah can handle a Kraken team that's shown they can be dangerous when firing on all cylinders despite their overall disappointing campaign.
I'm looking for Seattle to put up a fight, but Utah's home ice advantage and superior special teams play might ultimately be too much for the visitors to overcome.