Vegas Golden Knights vs. Colorado Avalanche Prediction, NHL Odds
It’s a battle between the top two teams in the West Division on Thursday as the Vegas Golden Knights head to Colorado to face the Avalanche. Vegas comes in with six wins in their last seven games, while Colorado is riding an eight-game point streak.
The Avs are -184 favourites to win on the NHL odds with a total of 5.5.
Golden Knights vs. Avalanche Betting Analysis
Both of these teams have some of the best odds to win the Stanley Cup and it’s been a tight season series between them. They’ve alternated wins, with each team picking up two W’s. The Golden Knights won the most recent game between these teams, shutting out the Avs 3-0 on Feb. 22. Alex Tuch had two goals and Marc-Andre Fleury picked up the shutout.
Vegas has been hot all season. They’re 6-1 straight up in their last seven games and 7-3 SU in their last 10 road games. The Golden Knights are 13-17 against the spread overall, covering in six of 14 road games. Games between these teams have been low scoring lately, as the total has gone Under in four of the last six games played in Colorado.
Colorado recently went on an absolute heater and just had a seven-game win streak snapped. Goals have been piling up for the Avs and they’ve hit the Over in five straight games. They’ve won six straight home games and boast a 12-4-1 record in friendly confines. The Avs are 14-17 ATS, covering in seven of 17 home games.
Vegas Golden Knights
It was all about the third period for Vegas against St. Louis on Monday. Entering the final frame tied at 1, the Golden Knights buried four straight goals to finish with a 5-1 win. Mark Stone picked up two goals, while William Karlsson added a goal and two helpers. After being named the first captain in team history just before the season, Stone has been having the best season of his career. He’s leading the team with 38 points (12G, 26A) in 29 games, eight more points than the next closest player. Robin Lehner had a pretty quiet night against the Blues, stopping 15 of 16 shots. After starting the season on the IR, Lehner is now 5-1-1 with a 2.55 goals-against average and .898 save percentage.
Vegas has one of the best offences in the league and the goaltending duo of Lehner and Fleury has shored up the back end. They average 3.33 goals per game, sixth in the NHL, and hold opponents to 2.20 goals, second best in the league. Fleury should get the start in net on Thursday. The Flower is 16-6-0 on the year with a 1.93 GAA (third among goalies with at least six starts) and .931 SV (second).
Colorado Avalanche
Colorado’s offence has exploded after a subpar start to the season. The Avs rallied from a two-goal deficit against the Coyotes on Tuesday and forced extra time before falling in the shootout. The loss snapped a seven-game win streak, which saw Colorado outscore Minnesota 11-1 over a two-game set at one point. Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and two assists on Tuesday, but it’s Mikko Rantanen who leads the team in points (38) and goals (19). Jonas Johansson, who was just picked up from Buffalo, got his first start with the Avs. Johansson made 28 saves on 32 shots in the loss.
The Avalanche have the second best offence in the league. They average 3.42 goals per game and have scored in a franchise-record 20 straight periods. Their defence has also been holding opponents to just 2.26 goals per game, third-best in the NHL. Philipp Grubauer is a big part of Colorado’s defensive success. He’s only allowed four goals over his last seven starts and has three shutouts in that span. Grubauer is 19-7-0 on the year and among goalies with at least six starts, he has the best GAA (1.71) and third-best SV (.930).
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