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Andrew Rogers
Predators vs. Avalanche: Game 6 Prediction, NHL Playoff Odds
Two late goals in Game 5 allowed the Colorado Avalanche to stay alive in their first-round series with Nashville – but there’s still work to do if the Avalanche hope to knock off the defending Western Conference champions, starting with a victory in Game 6 Sunday night in Denver. The Avs rallied from a one-goal deficit with just over four minutes remaining, but are still solid underdogs in this NHL matchup as Nashville takes a second crack at moving on to the second round.
Predators vs. Avalanche Stanley Cup Playoffs Betting Analysis
The Avalanche have won 20 of their past 27 games at Pepsi Center, but that hot streak hasn’t swayed oddsmakers who believe the Predators will wrap things up Sunday night. Colorado has struggled to maintain any momentum, having dropped five consecutive games following a win. Nashville, meanwhile, has won 12 of its previous 16 road games overall and has won seven of the past eight head-to-head encounters in Colorado.
From a totals perspective, both teams are trending heavily toward the over despite their 2-1 result in Game 5. The Avalanche have 12 overs and three pushes in their past 18 games after scoring two or fewer goals in their previous contest, while the Predators are 7-2 O/U in their last nine in that situation. Additionally, both teams have gone over in five of their past seven games overall, and are 7-2-1 O/U in their past 10 encounters at Pepsi Center.
Nashville Predators
Friday’s stunning loss did little to dissuade oddmakers, who still have the Predators as the favourite to both represent the West in the Stanley Cup finals (+200) and to win its first title in franchise history (+400). Part of the reason for the continued optimism: Nashville has been an incredible bounce-back team after struggling on offence; the previous four times the Predators have been held to a single goal, they have averaged 4.5 goals in their very next game.
Colorado Avalanche
Colorado was one of the top home teams in the West during the regular season – its 28 wins were tied for third-most in the conference – and it earned a split of its two home games with Nashville earlier in the series. But overall, the Avalanche have struggled to contain the league’s top road teams, having lost eight of their past 10 games at Pepsi Center against teams above .600 on the road. If they can’t reverse that trend, they’ll be staying home for a while.
