All eyes will be on Jack Eichel this Wednesday night, as he will finally be making his much-awaited debut for the Vegas Golden Knights, who acquired him via a controversial trade with the Buffalo Sabres. For his first game in Vegas uniform, Eichel will skate against the lethal Colorado Avalanche, who are so determined to get back in the win column after a bitter loss to the Dallas Stars. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NHL odds series, which includes our Colorado Avalanche-Vegas Golden Knights prediction, odds, and pick we have laid out below.

Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Colorado Avalanche-Vegas Golden Knights odds:

NHL odds: Colorado Avalanche-Vegas Golden Knights Odds

Colorado Avalanche: -1.5 (+205)

Vegas Golden Knights: +1.5 (-260)

Over: 6.5 (-120)

Under: 6.5 (-102)

*Watch NHL Games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)

Why the Colorado Avalanche Could Cover the Spread

It’s going to be refreshing for the Avalanche to see different faces when they take to the ice later tonight. They’ve battled against the Dallas Stars in their last two games, splitting those contests with a 4-0 win on the road last Sunday and a 4-1 loss to the same team at home Tuesday night. That loss to the Stars was especially frustrating for Colorado mainly because of how the Avs dominated the possession battle. They had 47 shots on goal, tied for third-most they’ve made in a game this season and it’s the only match they’ve lost despite launching at least 46 shots.

Nevertheless, that’s a good sign for Colorado, as they’ve always been a possession-dominant team this season. They are fifth in the NHL with a 5-on-5 53.8 CF%. It’s also not good news for the Golden Knights, who have been outshot in five of their last seven games. And while Colorado is just 21st in terms of High Danger Scoring Chance rate (48.8%), this team is making 11.3% of its shots – only the Minnesota Wild are better than the Avs in this department. Colorado lost to the Golden Knights, 3-1, at home way back in October, but that was when the Avs were amidst a slow start. A lot has changed since, and Colorado is now among the best teams in the league. Meanwhile, Darcy Kuemper is likely to return to the ice tonight after the Avs let Pavel Francouz start Tuesday. Kuemper is 9-3-1 with 2.61 GAA, .912 SV%, and a shutout in road appearances this season.

Click here for our Risk Free $1000 Bet!

*To claim, new users need to register, make a first deposit, and then simply place their first real-money wager on FanDuel Sportsbook up to $1000! If a user loses their first wager, we’ll refund their losses in the form of a free bet up to $1000!*

Why the Vegas Golden Knights Could Cover the Spread 

Vegas can use a pick-me-up after getting walloped by the Calgary Flames in a 6-0 road loss on Feb. 9. It was a sharp turn for the Golden Knights who came into that contest on a three-game winning streak and just after they bulldozed the Edmonton Oilers in a 4-0 road win the night before. The Golden Knights were partly set up to fail in that contest, with back-to-back road games, so they probably just didn’t have enough strength to muster a more competitive performance. It’s a different story for this game against Colorado, with the Golden Knights getting six full days of rest before the showdown. The Avs definitely can’t feel too confident about their chances to get majority control of the puck, as Vegas is also a top-10 team in terms of 5-on-5 CF%.  

The Golden Knights’ 115.3 xGF rating is ranked fourth in the league, showing just how dangerous Vegas is in finding and creating prime scoring opportunities. And it could get even more potent with shiny trade acquisition Jack Eichel set to make his debut in Golden Knights threads later tonight. Eichel has not played since March 2021 due to a neck injury but apparently is healthy enough to finally see action. Hopefully, his expected insertion to Vegas’ top line will pay dividends right away, as Max Pacioretty and Evgeni Dadonov have not scored a goal in the team’s last five outings. Offense will be very much needed by the Golden Knights to give goalie Laurent Brossoit some scoring cushion. Brossoit (9-3-2/2.66 GAA/.905 SV%) is expected to start in place of Robin Lehner (upper-body injury). 

Colorado Avalanche-Vegas Golden Knights Prediction & Pick

With Kuemper back to patrol the crease, the Avs will be better equipped to turn away Vegas’ shots on goal. It’s possible that Eichel will not have an immediate impact on the Golden Knights, given his lengthy absence. A game against the high-powered Colorado team just doesn’t seem to be an ideal backdrop for an Eichel breakout game. I’m expecting the Avs to take care of business in Sin City – and that’s even though Colorado is winless in the past five meetings with the Golden Knights.

Final Colorado Avalanche-Vegas Golden Knights Pick: Avalanche -1.5 (+205)