The Colorado Avalanche head into Raleigh, North Carolina to take on the Carolina Hurricanes, in what could be a Stanley Cup Preview. It's time to continue our NHL odds series with an Avalanche-Hurricanes prediction and pick.
Both teams are at the top of their conferences, with aspirations for more, as the season gets closer to the end. This will be the first matchup between the teams since February 29th, 2020, a matchup that the Avalanche won 3-2 in Raleigh. Now the teams meet again, with plenty on the line, but who will come out on top?
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Avalanche-Hurricanes odds:
NHL Odds: Avalanche-Hurricanes Odds
Colorado Avalanche: -1.5 (+210) ML (-115)
Carolina Hurricanes: +1.5 (-265) ML (-104)
Over: 6 (-128)
Under: 6 (+104)
Why The Avalanche Can Cover the Spread
The Avalanche are coming off a 5-3 loss, suffered at the hands of the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday. Despite being the top team in the Western Conference, they have stumbled as of late, going 1-2-1 in their past four games. Now they prepare to face one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, in what could be a preview of the Stanley Cup.
The Avalanche have a lot of firepower, as Nathan MacKinnon is one of the key foundation pieces on their roster. He is currently riding a 12-game point streak, including two games in a row with at least three points. He has 19 goals on the season, totaling 60 points. Defenseman Cale Makar has been a wizard on the ice, currently on a 13-game point streak, and putting up 21 goals for a sum of 65 points on the season. But Nazem Kadri has had a career year, as his 22 goals, for a sum of 72 points, equals the most points he has scored in a season. Add Gabriel Landeskog, and his 30 goals and 59 total points, and the Avalanche have a team with weapons all over the ice. Goalie Darcy Kuemper has held his own with a 2.57 goals-against average, and a .917 save percentage.
Why The Hurricanes Can Cover the Spread
The Hurricanes are coming off a 3-2 win over the Seattle Kraken on Sunday. They have played well lately, going 7-1-1 over their last nine games. This will be their toughest test as of late, as they take on an Avalanche team that has the same Stanley Cup aspirations they do.
Sebastian Aho leads the Hurricanes with 24 goals and 58 overall points. Aho has scored 11 points over the last ten games, generating a point in each of the past two contests. They also have secondary scoring in the form of Andrei Svechnikov, who has tallied 23 goals on 51 overall points. But he has struggled in his last four matchups, only generating one point. The Hurricanes have solid goaltending, as Frederik Andersen has given them 29 wins, a 2.08 goals-against average, and a .928 save percentage. But Andersen is coming off a two-game absence, where he sat out with an undisclosed injury. He did practice on Wednesday, so he likely will return for this showdown. The Hurricanes will need him to shut down the Avalanche, and the massive firepower they provide.
Final Avalanche-Hurricanes Prediction & Pick
One thing to note from the Hurricanes is they always strive to play low-scoring games, and it usually works. Case in point, four of the last five showdowns between these two squads have resulted in four goals or fewer. The spread for this game is very generous, at six. While the Avalanche have plenty of weapons available, I believe the Hurricanes will do a lot to slow them down. The ultimate bet for this is to take the under because the Avalanche and Hurricanes will battle in a gritty affair on the ice.
Final Avalanche-Hurricanes Prediction & Pick: Under (+104)
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