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Islanders vs Kraken Picks and Predictions – Wednesday January 21, 2026
Seattle gets a familiar opponent at the right moment. That 1-0 shootout loss to the Islanders before Thanksgiving kicked off a brutal stretch for the Kraken, and now they get a chance to flip the script at Climate Pledge Arena on Wednesday night with the season again nudging toward urgency.
The Kraken have dropped four straight and have been leaking goals late, giving up three third-period goals in each of their last two games. New York arrives to finish a long Western trip, still in a strong position in the Metro, but not exactly cruising. They are 3-2-1 on the swing and have leaned heavily on timely scoring and goaltending to bank points.
The market sees this as basically a coin flip on the moneyline, which is fair. The handicap comes down to whether Seattle can tighten its defensive details and stop gifting momentum swings, especially on special teams.
New York Islanders vs Seattle Kraken Odds
These are the current betting lines, and bettors should keep monitoring updated NHL odds on the ScoresAndStats NHL odds page as goalie confirmations and lineup notes roll in closer to puck drop.
| Team | Moneyline | Puck Line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York Islanders | -119 | -1.5 (+206) | 5.5 |
| Seattle Kraken | -101 | +1.5 (-257) | 5.5 |
New York Islanders Betting Form
New York has looked like a team that knows how to win different kinds of games on the road. They can play low-event hockey when needed, but they have also found offense in pockets, especially when their top creators are driving the game and the power play gets clean entries. The key for bettors is that they have been comfortable winning tight games, which matters against a Seattle team that has been losing the plot in third periods.
The lineup wrinkle is still about who’s carrying the finishing load. With Bo Horvat sidelined recently, the Islanders have needed other scorers to step up, and they have, but that kind of efficiency can cool off fast if the looks are not there. If you want recent trends, matchup splits, and pricing context, start with New York Islanders stats and results and make sure you check the latest availability on the New York Islanders injury report.
Seattle Kraken Betting Form
Seattle’s current skid is tied to defensive looseness, and it’s not subtle. They have been giving up too many clean looks off failed clears and lost coverage, then compounding it with mistakes that turn into immediate goals against. The back-to-back 6-3 losses are a bright red flag because they were not pure goaltending failures. They were breakdowns, especially when games should have tightened late.
Special teams have been a problem in a very specific way. Allowing short-handed goals in three straight games is the kind of detail that flips a betting ticket from comfortable to dead, and it also speaks to puck management and spacing on the power play. Seattle at home still has a path here, but it requires a more disciplined five-on-five game and fewer self-inflicted momentum swings. For form, trends, and home splits, use Seattle Kraken schedule and stats and confirm who is in and out via the Seattle Kraken injury report.
New York Islanders vs Seattle Kraken Matchup Breakdown
At five-on-five, this feels like a structure test. New York is comfortable playing a patient road game, keeping plays in front, then countering when the opponent opens up. Seattle has not been doing the little things well enough lately to survive that kind of opponent, especially when their defensive-zone exits get messy and their forwards start cheating for offense.
Special teams can decide this matchup. The Islanders do not need to dominate the power-play battle, they just need Seattle to keep making the same mistakes. If the Kraken are still loose at the blue line on the man advantage, New York can generate the exact kind of short-handed chances that have been burning Seattle lately. If Seattle cleans that up, the whole game changes because it lets them control territory instead of trading rushes.
Goaltending is a swing factor, and if the Islanders rest Ilya Sorokin or rotate to a different starter, that matters for the moneyline and the total. If the goalie plan is not confirmed, treat that uncertainty as part of the price. Seattle’s side is similar: they can win this game at home, but they cannot keep giving up Grade-A looks late and expect their goalie to erase every mistake.
The travel angle leans slightly toward Seattle. New York is finishing a long trip, while the Kraken are at home and have a clear motivation edge after watching leads evaporate twice in a row. Climate Pledge Arena is an indoor setting, so weather is not a factor. This comes down to whether Seattle defends with discipline and whether New York can keep turning small mistakes into goals.
New York Islanders vs Seattle Kraken Predictions and Best Bets
I lean Seattle on the moneyline. The price is close to even, and this is the kind of spot where a home team that has been embarrassed late can tighten up for one night, especially against a visitor that is finishing a long swing. I also like the psychological angle: the Islanders were the opponent tied to Seattle’s earlier slide, and that kind of memory can sharpen a team’s start.
The case against Seattle is obvious. If they are still too loose in the defensive zone, New York is built to punish it. That’s why I am not interested in laying any big number on the puck line either way. If you play Seattle, you want the cleanest version of the bet, and that’s the moneyline.
The total is tricky at 5.5. Seattle’s recent games have had goals, but a lot of that has been third-period chaos and special teams mistakes, not a stable offensive profile you can trust every night. If the Kraken play tighter, this can land in a 3-2 type range. If they do not, it can get away quickly. For me, the sharper position is side, not total.
Best Bet: Seattle Kraken moneyline (-101)
NHL Picks and Handicappers on ScoresAndStats
If you are building a full slate card, the NHL picks page is the best hub to compare sides and totals across the board, especially when lines move late because of goalie news. For more game-by-game betting context, the NHL previews hub helps you line up matchup edges without overcomplicating the read.
To track who is actually beating the market, use the best handicappers page and the handicapper leaderboard. If you want premium plays when the board gets heavier, you can find them through buy picks. And if you want to sharpen process for the rest of the season, the NHL betting guide plus the Stanley Cup betting guide are useful for market basics, pricing, and bankroll structure that show up every night in matchups like this.
