Colorado Avalanche vs. Vegas Golden Knights Game 3 Prediction, NHL Odds

Makar has yet to appear in the series due to a suspected shoulder injury, and has been sorely missed as Vegas has grabbed a 2-0 series lead, capped by a 3-1 victory in Colorado on Friday night.

But even without Makar, the Avalanche look to Game 3 as strong -150 road favourites, but have faded to +200 underdogs on the NHL series prices in the wake of their Game 2 loss. The Golden Knights trail as +125 underdogs on the Game 3 odds, but have vaulted to a -250 bet to win the series. The total in Sunday night’s matchup is pegged at 6.

Avalanche vs. Golden Knights Game 3 Betting Odds

Once again, the Avalanche offence sputtered in Game 2 despite outshooting the Golden Knights for the second time in the series. Overall, the Avs have mustered two or fewer goals in three of their past five games. That has meant uneven results for totals bettors, who have seen the OVER go just 2-2-1 over that stretch, ending a 4-0 run. Conversely, the Golden Knights have powered their recent success with sensational goaltending from Carter Hart, allowing just six total goals during a four-game win streak, sparking a 3-0-1 run for the UNDER, which has gone 5-2-2 over their past nine. The Golden Knights’ early success in the West Final has also powered their rise on the Stanley Cup odds, where they now trail only Carolina as a +210 bet while the Avalanche have tumbled to +400 after battling for the top of the odds board throughout the spring.

Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche managed to seize an early lead in Game 2 with an increasingly rare first-period goal but it was far from enough, as Vegas bounced back with three unanswered goals in the final frame to seize the win and return home with a commanding 2-0 series lead. Overall, the club has scored just 13 total goals over the past five games, with just eight of those markers coming at even strength and only four coming inside the first 40 minutes. However, the Avs’ scoring woes have not resulted from lack of opportunities, with the club outshooting opponents in each of those five contests, by an average of over 10 shots per game. Once again, it was role players generating the offence in Game 2, with Ross Colton scoring the lone goal. The club’s leading scorer Nathan MacKinnon has been limited to just one assist in the series, snapping a six-game goalscoring streak that was crucial to the club’s second-round win over Minnesota. Matin Necas has been held off the scoresheet in the first two games after turning in four multi-point performances versus the Wild, and Gabriel Landeskog has cooled off following a torrid start to the playoffs, picking up just one point in four games after cracking the scoresheet in six of the first game of the postseason.

Vegas Golden Knights

Carter Hart has made steady gains on the Conn Smythe Trophy odds during an impressive playoff run, climbing to a high-value +1700 bet in the wake of his 29-save performance in Game 2. The Vegas netminder has stopped 130 of 136 shots over the past four games and sports a .924 save percentage this spring while limiting opponents to two or fewer goals in eight of his past nine outings. The club also received a timely breakout performance in Game 2 from Ivan Barbashev, who got in on all three goals with two markers including the game winner, along with an assist. And while the Avs managed to dictate tone early on, the Golden Knights held their own, outshooting Colorado 12-11 in the opening frame and scoring three times on nine shots in the third. Pavel Dorofeyev also enjoyed another big night with two helpers. The 25-year-old has piled up nine points during a six-game points streak and trails only Mitch Marner and Jack Eichel in team scoring with 10 goals and four assists so far this spring.