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An inter-conference duel will be on the docket for this Tuesday evening as the Philadelphia Flyers do battle with the Colorado Avalanche. Join us for our NHL odds series where our Flyers-Avalanche prediction and pick will come true.
Remember when the Flyers got off to one of the best starts in the league to begin the season? Well, that time seems prehistoric as Philadelphia has been dreadful since. In fact, Philly has only been able to find the win column twice in their previous 17 games and also went on a ten-game losing streak during that time.
One of the more banged-up squads in hockey, the undermanned Colorado Avalanche have looked like a shell of themselves compared to a season ago when they were able to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup at the end of June. With some of their top skaters sidelined with nagging injuries, the Avs will have to rely on some unlikely heroes to step and lead them to victory.
Here are the Flyers-Avalanche NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Flyers-Avalanche Odds
Philadelphia Flyers: +1.5 (-128)
Colorado Avalanche: -1.5 (+104)
Over: 6 (+100)
Under: 6 (-122)
Why The Flyers Could Cover The Spread
Things have gone from bad to worse for a Flyers bunch that has so far failed to replicate the success of the other professional teams in Philadelphia, but by no means does this signal that the Flyers cannot get the job done at Ball Arena this evening.
While the Flyers have played near the farthest thing from effective as of late, Philly was able to get the best out of Colorado when these two teams last faced off with one another a week ago which also served as Philadelphia's lone win of December so far. In the triumphant victory, the Flyers racked up five goals and even capitalized on a pair of power-play goals that proves to be the difference in the 5-3 affair.
Since then, Philly has dropped a trio of games in a row and have struggled to get things going offensively. As a whole, the Flyers only average 2.41 goals per game, but they at least possess center Kevin Hayes, who leads the club with 28 points on 9 goals and 19 assists. Despite the season-long success, Hayes has been blanked the last two games with no points whatsoever which could be contributed to why the Flyers are in the midst of a losing streak. Alas, there is no excuse for the Flyers to not get strategize their scheme around Hayes and try to get him involved offensively as much as possible, especially since the Avs don't have their big guns available.
Why The Avalanche Could Cover The Spread
There's no other way to put it, but the Avalanche are currently in survivor mode. When healthy, Colorado is no question one of the top rosters that the NHL has to offer, but they have a whopping six skaters on IR that have played a huge role on this team in the past.
With their shorthanded tendencies, the Avalanche have been forced to turn to Mikko Rantanen in hopes that he can provide some fireworks to a stagnant offense that is stuck in the mud. Fortunately, the Avs were able to break free from the chains of their season-high four-game losing skid after it was Rantanen himself who tallied a hat-trick en route to a Colorado victory over the St. Louis Blues. Again, the Avalanche's best shot at covering the spread in this one will be because of Rantanen and his ability to come up clutch in the scoring department when his team needs him the most.
Since Colorado may be limited scoring wise, the bulk of the responsibility will be given to goalie Alexandar Georgiev. In his first year after packing his bags west from New York, Georgiev has looked at times like one of the better net-minders in the league, but inconsistency has plagued him greatly. In his last start, the 26-year-old played nicely versus his former team as he was able to only allow a single goal and save 28 shots in the process. After a night off in the Avalanche's win over the Blues, Georgiev should be plenty rested to give it his all later tonight.
Final Avalanche-Flyers Prediction & Pick
This rematch from a week ago should be an entertaining one since both sides enter play on a level playing field, but it will be the Avalanche that have the last laugh in this one.
Final Avalanche-Flyers Prediction & Pick: Avalanche -1.5 (+104)
