Colorado Avalanche vs. Dallas Stars Game 5 Prediction, NHL Playoff Odds
Trailing 2-1 in this first round playoff series, the Colorado Avalanche found another gear on Saturday as they tied things up with a dominating 4-0 victory. Now the series shifts back to Texas on Monday, with Dallas looking to regroup and Colorado looking to keep the momentum going.
The Avalanche are -140 favourites to win Game 5 on the NHL odds, with the total set at 6.0.
Avalanche vs. Stars NHL Betting Odds
Saturday’s Game 4 was the first shutout in head-to-head action since Colorado beat Dallas, also 4-0, in February 2022, a span of 21 games. Outside of Game 4, the series has been extremely competitive. Games 2 and 3 were both decided in overtime and Game 1 was a lot closer than the 5-1 scored indicated.
Entering Game 4, the Stars were favoured on the series line for the first time, but momentum has shifted back to the Avs. Colorado now sits as a -160 favourite to win the series on the NHL futures board and Dallas is a +135 underdog.
Oddsmakers expect the Avalanche to keep rolling as the favoured exact series result is a Colorado win in six games at +180, while the biggest long shot is a Stars win in six at +400.
If you’re looking further down the line in the playoffs, the Avalanche are +700 to win the Stanley Cup and Dallas is +1300. That’s a bigger payout than the Stars had at the start of the playoffs (+850), but it slightly shorter odds than Colorado originally had (+750).
Last game we recommended grabbing Gabriel Landeskog to record 2+ points in any game of the series (+200) and he immediately cashed it with a goal and an assist (insert self indulgent pat on the back).
If you trust us again, we like 3+ games in the series going to overtime at +160. Only one more game needs to go to extra time to cash this and I can’t imagine either team will be an easy out at this point.
Colorado Avalanche
There’s no better feel-good story at the moment than Landeskog. The Avalanche captain scored his first goal since Game 2 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final on Saturday in just his second game since a three-year layoff because of a knee injury. Mackenzie Blackwood has been another great story. Playing in his first career playoff series, Blackwood earned his first shutout in Game 4. Blackwood’s 1.60 goals-against average and .939 save percentage both rank second in the playoffs.
After going 0-for-6 on the power play in Game 3, Colorado made special teams a priority in Game 4. Logan O’Connor opened the scoring with a short-handed marker, while Nathan MacKinnon buried his fourth goal of the series on the power play in the first period. It was the only power play opportunity for the Avalanche, who also finished 4-for-4 on the penalty kill.
Dallas Stars
Head coach Pete DeBoer had an interesting strategy on Saturday as he pulled Jake Oettinger after the second period and played Casey DeSmith in the third. It was nothing against Oettinger, who was Dallas’ best player with 31 saves on 34 shots over two periods. DeBoer described the move as a way to give Oettinger rest, but you have to wonder if it was really a shot at the rest of the team, who ended the game being outshot 48-23.
One of the most bizarre stats of the series has to be the fact the Stars have won two games, but only held a lead for 62 seconds total. Dallas is clearly missing Jason Robertson, who led the team in goals during the regular season, and No. 1 defenceman Miro Heiskanen. Both players are dealing with knee injuries and while Robertson was never expected to play in the series, there are now rumours Heiskanen is also doubtful to return at all. The Stars simply need more players to step up, particularly former Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen, who is minus-4 with just one assist through four games.
COL
DAL