Vegas Golden Knights vs. Colorado Avalanche Prediction, NHL Odds
Colorado jumped out to a slow start this season, but a 4-3 shootout win in Tampa Bay over the weekend could be the spark the Avalanche need. Vegas has looked like a completely different team this year, with their season-opening win against Seattle standing as their only points in the standings.
The Avs are -180 favourites to win on the NHL odds, with a total of 6.0.
Golden Knights vs. Avalanche NHL Betting Odds
Colorado and Vegas actually tied for most points in the regular season last year, but the President’s Trophy was awarded to the Avalanche based on a tiebreaker. This is the first meeting between the two teams since the Golden Knights downed Colorado in six games in the second round of last year’s playoffs. The Avalanche were 4-3-1 versus Vegas in the regular season.
The Golden Knights have had a rough start to the year, sitting last in the Pacific Division with a 1-4 record. They’ve also lost six of their last eight contests in Denver. Vegas has been favoured in all five games this season, but failed to cover in any of them. The Over has hit three times for the Knights this year, including in their only road game.
At 2-3, it hasn’t been the start most people expected for Colorado, but they’re likely glad to be back home, as they’re 14-2 straight up in their last 16 games at Ball Arena. The Avs are 1-4 against the spread this year, covering in one of their two home games. The total has gone Over in three of Colorado’s five games this year and 10 of their last 12 against Western Conference opponents dating back to last season.
Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas has played four of their first five games at home, but haven’t been able to capitalize. The Golden Knights come in on a four-game losing streak, including a 2-0 shutout loss against the Islanders on Sunday, despite directing 42 shots on net. Offence has been nearly non-existent in Sin City, with the team averaging just 2.00 goals per game.
Chandler Stephenson leads Vegas with four points (2G, 2A). Stephenson and Max Pacioretty (2G, 1A) are the only players on the roster with multiple goals this year. Unfortunately, Pacioretty will miss at least 10 games with a lower-body injury after being placed on long-term injured reserve. Captain Mark Stone (3A) is also out with a lower-body injury and there’s no timeline on his return, though he isn’t on LTIR.
Defensively, Vegas is giving up 3.80 goals per game. In his first season as the Golden Knights’ true starter, Robin Lehner is 1-4 with a 3.28 goals-against average and .905 save percentage. Backup Laurent Brossoit’s only action has been in relief of Lehner in a 6-2 loss to the Kings. Brossoit allowed two goals on 16 shots.
Colorado Avalanche
Colorado broke a three-game losing streak with their shootout win in Tampa Bay on Saturday. Colorado’s top line of Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog all found the back of the net. It was MacKinnon’s first of the year after spending the first two games in COVID protocol because of a positive test. MacKinnon (1G, 4A) is tied with Rantanen (3G, 2A) for the team lead in points with five apiece. Rantanen has a point in every game this season and has scored in the last three.
The Avalanche are hoping Saturday’s performance is a sign of better things to come. Colorado’s offence has been sluggish to start the year, averaging 2.80 goals per game (19th). They’re also giving up 4.00 goals per game (29th), one of only four teams to average at least 4.00 goals per game against.
New starting goaltender Darcy Kuemper is 2-2-0 to start the year, posting a 3.51 GAA and .894 SV. Jonas Johansson, the presumed third-stringer to start the year, stopped 33 of 37 shots in his only start this season. Johansson will serve as the backup until Pavel Francouz is healthy. Francouz missed all of last season after double hip surgery and is now week-to-week because of a seperate lower-body injury suffered during the preseason.
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