Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche Game 4 Prediction, NHL Playoff Odds
For the second straight game, Colorado and Dallas went to overtime on Thursday and once again it was the Stars who came out on top, 2-1. Dallas will now look for a commanding 3-1 series lead on Saturday night in Denver as the Avs look to level the series at two games apiece.
Colorado opened as a -180 favourite to win on the NHL odds, with the total set at 6.0.
Stars vs. Avalanche NHL Betting Odds
The Stars were leaking serious oil entering the playoffs, but back-to-back overtime wins have snapped an eight-game losing streak. Counting last year’s second round series win over the Avalanche, Dallas has now won five of the last seven playoff meetings between the teams.
For the first time this series, the Stars are favoured to win on the NHL futures board. Dallas is a -150 series favourite (started the series +135), while Colorado is a +125 underdog (started -160).
Ironically, the favoured exact series result is an Avalanche win in seven games at +300. The biggest long shot is a Stars sweep at +400.
If you still believe in Colorado, this might be the best time to take them to win the Stanley Cup. The Avs started the playoffs as the Cup favourites, but they now have the eight-shortest odds at +1000. Dallas’ Cup odds have remained steady at +850.
The early feel-good story of the playoffs is the return of Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog and there’s a way to cash in on it. Landeskog, who has started practicing with the PP1 unit, is +200 to record 2+ points in any game of the series. And remember, he did have a goal and an assist in an AHL game just before the playoffs.
Dallas Stars
Dallas has to be very happy with a 2-1 series lead despite not having Jason Robertson, their leading goalscorer, or Miro Heiskanen, their top defenceman. Robertson is all but ruled out of the series and despite Heiskanen being listed as day-to-day, he’s dealing with a serious knee injury and his status could be mind games from head coach Pete DeBoer.
The Stars have been doing it by committee in this series. Tyler Seguin scored the OT winner in Game 3 for his team-leading second goal of the playoffs, while Thomas Harley leads in points with three (1G, 2A). The penalty kill has been the team’s biggest strength as they’ve allowed just two goals on 13 opportunities (84.6 per cent), including a perfect 6-for-6 night in Game 3.
Colorado Avalanche
Valeri Nichushkin’s four-on-four goal in the first period was the lone bit of offence Colorado mustered in Game 3. Nathan MacKinnon was held off the scoresheet after putting up four points (3G, 1A) in the first two games. Cale Makar has been uncharacteristically quiet in the playoffs after putting up a historic 30 goals during the regular season. MacKinnon and Makar will both have to be better if they want to climb back in the series.
Landeskog was the talk of Game 3 and he’s shaping up to possibly play a bigger factor than most people thought. The Avalanche captain, who had an unprecedented return from a knee injury, led the team with six hits on Thursday in his first NHL action since Colorado won the Stanley Cup in 2022, a span of 1,032 days. Landeskog was so impressive, he was bumped up to the second line and first power play unit at Friday’s practice as head coach Jared Bednar looks for a way to spark the offence.
DAL
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