Subscribe
Follow Us
On Friday, the Anaheim Ducks will head to Denver to face the Colorado Avalanche. It's a Western Conference showdown as we share our NHL odds series and make a Ducks-Avalanche prediction and pick.
The Ducks are 2-1 after a thrilling 5-4 overtime win over the Utah Hockey Club. After multiple lead changes, the Ducks overcame a late 4-3 deficit to tie it up and send it into overtime before Leo Carlsson finished it off with a game-winning goal.
The Avalanche are shockingly 0-4 after another loss. This time, they lost 6-4 to the Boston Bruins in what was their third loss on home ice this early in the season.
Here are the Ducks-Avalanche NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Ducks-Avalanche Odds
Anaheim Ducks: +1.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +220
Colorado Avalanche: -1.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -275
Over: 6.5 (-122)
Under: 6.5 (+100)
How To Watch Ducks vs Avalanche
Time: 9:05 PM ET/6:05 PM PT
TV: ESPN+, Victory +, KCOP 13 and ALT
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Ducks Could Cover the Spread/Win
- Leo Carlsson has two goals and one assist over three games against the Avalanche.
- The Ducks are averaging three goals over the past four games against the Avalanche.
- The Ducks are averaging three goals in the past three games in Colorado.
The Ducks have struggled to score to start the season. However, on Wednesday, they finally gained some traction against the Utah Hockey Club, converting five goals, which was more than their first two games combined. Anaheim gets another shot at scoring as they will face a struggling defense.
Troy Terry has been one of the better players through three games. Also, Mason McTavish has contributed with two helpers while also winning 22 of 43 draws in the faceoff circle. Carlsson has one goal and one assist after Wednesday's game but must improve in the faceoff circles, where he has lost 21 of 29 draws. Likewise, defenseman Pavel Mintyukov leveled two goals and will look to continue building momentum for the young Ducks. Trevor Zegras also got on the scoresheet and now has one goal and one assist.
Lukas Dostal is 2-0 with a 1.99 goals-against average and a save percentage of .933 with one shutout through two games. However, the defense left him alone too many times, and Anaheim must clean that up against one of the best offensive teams in the league. Special teams have been an issue for the Ducks. Yet, they will take the worst powerplay into Colorado against the worst penalty kill.
The Ducks will cover the spread if Terry, McTavish, Carlsson, Zegras, and Mintyukov can confidently take the puck past the blue line and set up scoring chances. Additionally, the Ducks must win the battle on special teams.
Why the Avalanche Could Cover the Spread/Win
- The Avalanche scored eight goals against Dostal last season in an 8-2 win.
- Nathan MacKinnon has tallied 15 goals and 24 assists with a plus-minus of +2 over 32 games against the Ducks.
- MacKinnon has scored four goals and seven assists with a plus-minus of +4 over the past five games against the Ducks.
The Avalanche have injury issues, which got worse this week with the news about Jonathan Drouin. Regardless, the Avs still have Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantenen. MacKinnon has tallied one goal and six assists, including a goal on the powerplay. Also, Rantenen has tallied four goals and three assists, including two powerplay markers. Defenseman Cale Makar has one goal and seven assists.
Offense has not been the issue in Colorado. Unfortunately, defense and goaltending have been awful, as the Avalanche have allowed the most goals in the NHL and come in allowing an average of 6.25 goals per game. Alexandar Georgiev comes in with an 0-3 record with a 5.79 goals-against average and a save percentage of .800. Significantly, he must do better to keep his job and give the Avs the best chance to win.
The Avalanche will cover the spread if the offense continues humming and generating scoring chances. Then, the defense must pressure the Ducks and create turnovers.
Final Ducks-Avalanche Prediction & Pick
The Ducks are 2-1 against the spread, while the Avalanche are 0-4. Also, the Ducks are 1-1 against the spread on the road, while the Avs are 0-3 at home. The Avalanche went 2-1 against the Ducks last season. Yet, the Ducks went 2-1 against the spread against the Avalanche in those games. The Avalanche are 8-2 over the past 10 games against the Ducks, including 4-1 over five games at home. Furthermore, the Avalanche are 6-4 against the spread over 10 games against the Ducks and 3-2 against the odds at home.
The Ducks are a young and rebuilding team. Meanwhile, the Avalanche are a veteran team with one of the best players in the world, but they are hurting badly right now. While the Avalanche are way overdue for their first win, I don't see them blowing out the Ducks in this game because of their goaltending and defense issues. The Ducks find a way to cover the spread.
Final Ducks-Avalanche Prediction & Pick: Anaheim Ducks +1.5 (-110)
