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The Dallas Stars begin their quest for Lord Stanley's Cup as they host the Colorado Avalanche in game one. It is time to continue our Stanley Cup Playoffs odds series with an Avalanche-Stars prediction and pick.
The Avalanche went 49-29-4 in the regular season, which secured them the third spot in the Central Division. They did struggle some down the stretch, winning just four of their last nine games heading into the playoffs. Still, the Avalanche could return Gabriel Landeskog to the lineup for this series with the Stars, which would bolster their scoring and defensive capabilities.
Meanwhile, the Stars were 50-26-6 on the year, which gave them second place in the Central Division. Still, the Stars lost seven straight games before heading into the playoffs. Meanwhile, they were dominated in the process. After a seven-game winning streak in which the Stars outscored opponents 28-10, they would lose seven straight, being outscored 34-18.
Colorado won the season series with the Stars this year. The Stars took game one at home in November, but would fall on the road in January, and then again in overtime on the road in March.
Here are the Avalanche-Stars NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Stanley Cup Playoffs Odds: Avalanche-Stars Game 1 Odds
Colorado Avalanche: -1.5 (+205)
Moneyline: -120
Dallas Stars: +1.5 (-260)
Moneyline: +100
Over: 5.5 (-118)
Under: 5.5 (-104)
How To Watch Avalanche vs. Stars Stanley Cup Playoffs
Time: 8:30 PM ET/ 5:30 PM PT
TV: TNT/truTV/Max
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
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Why the Avalanche Will Cover the Spread/Win
Nathan MacKinnon leads the way for the Colorado Avalanche. He leads the team in goals, assists, and points this year. MacKinnon comes in with 32 goals and 84 assists, good for 116 points. He also has nine goals and 29 assists on the power play. He is joined on the top line by Martin Necas and Artturi Lehkonen. Necas comes in with 11 goals and 17 assists this year in his 30 games with the Avalanche. Finally, Lehkonen is third on the team in points this year, coming in with 27 goals and 18 assists this year.
Cale Makar has also been solid for the Avalanche this year. He is second on the team in points, playing from the blue line. Makar has 30 goals and 62 assists this year. Further, he has 12 goals and 23 assists on the power play this season. Meanwhile, Devon Toews has also been solid from the blue line. He has ten goals and 34 assists on the year.
MacKenzie Blackwood is expected to be in the goal for the Avalanche in this one. He is 28-21-6 overall this year, with a 2.55 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage. He is 1-4-0 in his last five games, giving up three or more goals in four of the last five.
Why the Stars Will Cover the Spread/Win
The top line for the Stars this year is led by Jason Robertson, who is second on the team in points and leads the team in goals. He comes into the game with 35 goals, 45 assists, and 80 total points. Meanwhile, he is joined on the line by Roope Hintz and Mikael Granlund. Hintz is fourth on the team in points with 28 goals and 39 assists, good for 67 points. Further, Granlund has seven goals and 14 assists in his 31 games with the Stars this year.
Meanwhile, Matt Duchene leads the team in points while also leading the team in assists. Duchene comes in with 30 goals and 52 assists, good for 82 total points. He is joined on the line by Mason Marchment, who has 22 goals and 25 assists this year. The line is rounded out by Tyler Seguin, who has scored nine goals while adding 12 assists, but playing just 20 games this year.
Jake Oettinger is expected to be in the goal for the Stars in this one. He is 36-18-4 this year with a 2.59 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage. Oettinger is just 1-3-1 in his last five games, giving up three or more goals in three of his last four games overall.
Final Avalanche-Stars Prediction & Pick
The Avalanche come in as favorites in terms of odds in this Stanley Cup Playoffs game one. Still, neither team comes in playing well. The Avalanche have given up 18 goals in their last five games, while the Stars have conceded 26 goals in the last five. Still, the Stars can score well. They are scoring 3.35 goals per game this year, and even during their losing streak, they continued to score well. The Avalanche scored 3.33 goals per game and were ninth in the NHL on the power play. This should be a back-and-forth game. While the Stars had the better regular season, the Avalanche played much better down the stretch. Regardless, the best play in this game is on the total. Take the over.
Final Avalanche-Stars Prediction & Pick: Over 5.5 (-118)
