Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche Game 3 Prediction, NHL Playoff Odds
There was a lot of talk about this series going seven games and that’s on track to happen following Dallas’ 4-3 overtime win on Monday.
With the series shifting to Denver for Game 3 on Wednesday, Colorado opened as a -175 favourite to win on the NHL odds, with the total pegged at 6.0.
Stars vs. Avalanche NHL Betting Odds
The Stars’ Game 3 victory snapped a three-game losing streak against the Avs, but more importantly, it halted an eight-game losing streak overall.
The series is mimicking the second-round matchup the teams played last year. Colorado won the first game in Dallas and the Stars won Game 2 before going on to take the series in six.
The Avalanche remain a top contender at +650 to win the Stanley Cup on the NHL futures board, trailing only Carolina at +600. Dallas is +1400 to win the Cup with nine teams boasting shorter odds.
The series line is sitting close to where it was prior to Game 1. Colorado is -200 to win and the Stars are+165 underdogs. The Avs are favoured to win in six games at +270, while Dallas winning in five is a +900 long shot.
Dallas Stars
Colin Blackwell was the overtime hero in Game 2, evening the series at 17:46 of the first extra period. Tyler Seguin, Thomas Harley and Evgenii Dadonov scored in regulation, while Jake Oettinger made 34 saves on 37 shots faced. One player who will need to step up is former Colorado winger Mikko Rantanen, who remains pointless in the series. Rantanen is minus-3 over the two games despite leading all forwards with over 26 minutes of ice time in Game 2. The Stars simply need the big Finn to be a difference-maker.
Rantanen’s contribution to Dallas is even more important when you consider the loss of Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson. Both players are dealing with knee injuries that could keep them out of the entire series. Heiskanen is listed as day-to-day and he is travelling with the team, but he hasn’t played since late January, so you have to wonder how he’ll look if he returns. Robertson, who led the Stars with 35 goals in the regular season, is a bigger long shot to play. He’s described as week-to-week and he didn’t even make the trip to Denver.
Colorado Avalanche
Colorado is kicking themselves after blowing a shot to take a 2-0 series lead home to Denver, but they’re still in a good spot after a road split. Nathan MacKinnon continued his hot start to the playoffs, opening the Game 2 scoring with a power play goal midway through the first period. MacKinnon is up to four points (3G, 1A) in the first two games. Depth scoring was also on display in Game 2, with Logan O’Connor and Jack Drury each finding the back of the net. Mackenzie Blackwood had another solid outing in net, finishing with 35 saves.
We could see something three years in the making for Game 3. There was a lot of pre-game buzz before Game 2 that Avs captain Gabriel Landeskog could return to the lineup. Landeskog, who has been sidelined with a knee injury since Colorado won the Stanley Cup in 2022, took the pre-game warm up but was ultimately a healthy scratch. The belief has been the Avalanche are waiting for Landeskog to make his return at home, so it’s worth watching for in Game 3 on Wednesday or Game 4 on Saturday.
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